SDA Sabbath School Lesson 4- 4th Quarter 2025-The Conflict Behind All Conflicts

[Richard Myers]

4th Quarter        Lesson 4                                                                                                       October 18-24

                                                                                                                               

 
The Conflict Behind All Conflicts

Commentary in Navy                  Inspiration in Maroon

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Josh. 5:13-15; Isa. 37:16; Rev. 12:7-9; Deut. 32:17; Exod. 14:13-14; Josh. 6:15-20

Memory Text: “And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.” Joshua 10:14

Reading the pages of Joshua, we are confronted with the aggressive military campaigns carried out at the command of God, in the name of God, and with the help of God. The idea that God was behind the conquest of Canaan pervades the book of Joshua, and it is expressed in the assertions of the narrator (Josh. 10:10-11) in God’s own words (Josh. 6:2, Josh. 8:1), in Joshua’s addresses (Josh. 4:23-24; Josh. 8:7), by Rahab (Josh. 2:10), by the spies (Josh. 2:24), and by the people (Josh. 24:18). God claims to be the initiator of these violent conflicts.

This reality raises unavoidable questions. How can we understand that God’s chosen people carried out such practices in Old Testament times? How is it possible to reconcile the image of a “warlike” God with His character of love (for example, Exod. 34:6, Ps. 86:15, Ps. 103:8, Ps. 108:4) without diluting the credibility, authority, and historicity of the Old Testament?

Why would one think that love would prevent war? Are not the wicked bound for not only death, but suffering for every sin? It was clearly stated that God repented of making man and destroyed all of humanity and animals except for what was on the ark. How is it that professing Christians would question the character of God because He destroys the wicked. Was it not for our sake that He destroys the wicked? And not only for our sake, but for the security of the universe. How sad that one would question His love. Has He not proved His love by risking His Son that some might live in a world without sin?

This week and next, we are going to explore the difficult question of divinely commanded wars in the book of Joshua and elsewhere.

It is not a difficult question when one understands God's government stands on His mercy and His justice. The problem is that few are truly converted and know the character of our God. Study the sacrifice asked of Abram. Is this not proof enough to know of His love? I wondered why God would ask a father to kill his son? Now I know. All ought to understand why God asked Abram to kill his son. It is a revelation of our heavenly Father's love for you and me.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 25.

[Richard Myers]

Sunday         October 19
Commander of the Army of the Lord

Read Joshua 5:13-15.

5:13   And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, [Art] thou for us, or for our adversaries? 
 5:14   And he said, Nay; but [as] captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? 
 5:15   And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest [is] holy. And Joshua did so. 

What does this text say about the background of Canaan’s conquest?

God was interested since He sent the captain of the host who was going to lead with a sword.

Israel has just crossed the Jordan and stepped onto the enemy’s ground. The fortress of Jericho lies in front of them, its gates firmly shut (Josh. 6:1). At this point, the people are unaware of any battle strategy. What is even more concerning, Israel has only slings, spears, and arrows to take on a city fortified to withstand a long siege.

"More concerning?"  After all God had done for them?  Have they no faith in the powerful God who they serve? If God asks us to do something, do you think we can do it? It depends on the faith of His children. We have our small part to do and God does the rest. Concern?  That God's work will be done, if not by us, then by others who are faithful.

Joshua’s questions regarding the identity of the strange visitor receive a rather obscure answer: “No.” The visitor’s answer reveals that He is unwilling to step into the categories defined by Joshua. In other words, the ultimate question is not whether He is on Joshua’s side; rather, is Joshua on His side?

Compare Joshua 5:14-15 with 2 Kings 6:8-17, Nehemiah 9:6, and Isaiah 37:16. What do you learn about the identity of the commander of the Lord’s army?

While the expression “commander of the army of the LORD” is unique in the Hebrew Bible, the combination of the terms “commander” and “hosts” always refers to a military leader. The word “host” in Scripture can refer to military troops, to the angels, or to celestial bodies.

The pre-incarnate Christ appears to Joshua not merely as an ally, nor even as the true Commander of Israel’s army, but as the Commander of the unseen yet real army of angels involved in a far greater conflict than that of Joshua with the Canaanites. Joshua’s answer clearly indicates his understanding of the Commander’s identity. He is equal to God, and Joshua falls prostrate in front of Him as a sign of profound respect and worship (Josh. 5:14, Gen. 17:3, 2 Sam. 9:6, 2 Chron. 20:18). Joshua is ready to receive the battle strategy for a military campaign that is an intrinsic part of a far greater conflict in which the God of hosts Himself is involved.

What comfort can, and should, we draw, from knowing that the “Commander of the army of the LORD” is at work in defense of His people?

We indeed are still His modern day Israel. But, the battle we have to fight is with self. Until there is revival and reformation in His church, the battle is within not without.  When 48% of the 40,000,000 who have come in the church have left, it ought to awaken to us the fact that the church remains in a Laodicean condition. That means most of the church are not in a converted state. In Ellen White's day there were few who were truly converted. As it is today, many were  buried alive and this  is why there are so many problems in our churches, and why there  is rebellion at the highest level. 

The minds of many are clouded with unbelief because those who unite with the church as the chosen of God do not reveal the virtues that are the fruits of the Spirit. Joining the church is not a sure evidence that a man has joined himself to Christ. The new birth is a rare experience in this age of the world. This is the reason why there are so many perplexities in the churches. Many, so many, who assume the name of Christ are unsanctified and unholy. They have been baptized, but they were buried alive. Self did not die, and therefore they did not rise to newness of life in Christ.
 
Thousands who claim to be religious are not Christians. Paul was very strict in carrying out his religion, but he was not a Christian until Christ revealed Himself to him and talked with him, showing him that he was persecuting his Master in the person of His saints. Then Paul was converted. He became one of the sect he had despised and hated; and for his love of Christ he received the same cruel treatment that he had once cooperated with others in giving.

The churches have an abundance of the religion and zeal that Paul had. Many persecute those who differ from them in religious matters. But no true Christian will persecute one who conscientiously differs from him in faith. Those who try to force the consciences of their fellowmen do it because Christ is not abiding in their hearts. They do not realize that they have the attributes of Satan, but he delights to make them his instruments to bear witness against God’s chosen ones. They strive to make them observe rites that have no foundation in the Word of God. When these persecutors have the Spirit of Christ, they will hear and receive the words of Christ “Touch not Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm” ( 1 Chronicles 16:22). Christ and Him crucified will absorb the whole soul.
(Colossians 3:12-17, 23-25, quoted.)

What does God require? Perfection, nothing less than perfection. But if we would be perfect, we must put no confidence in self. Daily we must know and understand that self is not to be trusted. We need to grasp God’s promises with firm faith. We need to ask for the Holy Spirit with a full realization of our own helplessness. Then when the Holy Spirit works we shall not give self the glory. The Holy Spirit will graciously take the heart into His keeping, bringing to it all the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. We shall be kept by the power of God through faith.

When we are daily under the control of God’s Spirit, we shall be commandment-keeping people. We may show to the world that obedience to God’s commands brings its own reward, even in this life, and in the future life eternal blessedness. Notwithstanding our profession of faith, the Lord by whom our actions are weighed, sees but an imperfect representation of Christ. He has declared that such a condition of things cannot glorify Him.  12MR 52.

[Richard Myers]

Monday        October 20
War in Heaven

Joshua understood that the battle was part of a larger conflict. What do we know about the conflict in which God Himself was involved? Read Rev. 12:7-9, Isa. 14:12-14, Ezek. 28:11-19, and Dan. 10:12-14.

God populated the universe with responsible creatures to whom He gave free will, a prerequisite for them being able to love. They can choose to act in accordance with, or against, God’s will. The most powerful of angels, Lucifer, rebelled against God, and took a lot of angels with him.

And since then, he has taken many more from here on this Earth! Every day there are more who have closed their probations  by hardening their hearts against the truth. They believed the lie that if one sins he will surely not die.

Isaiah and Ezekiel refer to the conflict, although some commentators try to restrict the meaning of Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 to the king of Babylon and to a ruler in Tyre. However, there are clear indicators in the biblical text that point to a transcendent reality. The king of Babylon is presented to have been in heaven at the throne of God (Isa. 14:12-13), and the king of Tyre is said to have resided in Eden as a protective cherub on God’s holy mountain (Ezek. 28:12-15). None of this is true about the kings of Babylon and Tyre.

Neither can it be said about the earthly kings that they were blameless and the “signet ring of perfection.” Consequently, these characters point beyond the literal kingdoms of Babylon and Tyre.

Isaiah presents a “parable” (Heb. mashal), which conveys a meaning beyond the immediate historical context. In this case, the king of Babylon becomes a paradigm of rebellion, self-sufficiency, and pride. Similarly, Ezekiel makes a distinction between the prince of Tyre (Ezek. 28:2) and the king of Tyre (Ezek. 28:11-12), where the prince, being active in the earthly realm, becomes the symbol of a king who acts in the heavenly one.

According to Daniel 10:12-14, these rebellious heavenly beings obstruct the fulfillment of God’s purposes on earth. It is in light of this connection between heaven and earth that we have to understand the divinely sanctioned wars of Israel. We need to recognize them as earthly manifestations of the great conflict between God and Satan, and between good and evil—all ultimately with the purpose of restoring God’s justice and love in a fallen world.

What are ways we see, in the world around us and in our own lives, the reality of this cosmic battle between good and evil?

Let us look at the battle which comes close to each of us daily through the message given to Ezekiel who was made a watchman to warn Israel that when one sins, he does not have eternal life. Why was this  message presented three times by Ezekiel in chapters 3, 18, and 33?

What was this that was so  very important?  From chapter three verse  twenty: "Again, When a righteous [man] doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand."  How does this apply to our day? In two ways.

First, we must understand the lie that Satan propagated in the Garden when he deceived Eve in believing God lied to her when He told her she would surely die if she ate from the fruit in the  midst of the Garden.  Eve believed the lie that if she disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit she would surely not die. So it has always been the same lie that deceives most all who have gone into the grave and will remain in the grave until a thousand years after Christ's return. Satan deceived Israel into believing they had obtained eternal life in sin. And so it is today. Many in Babylon believe the lie that they will surely not die if they sin. They have been taught that once saved always saved, there are no abortions in heaven. Even in His modern day Israel the same lie has deceived a multitude. The remains in a Laodicean condition wherein most in the church believe they are saved when they are not. They have been taught that if they sin a known sin, they have eternal life because Jesus stands in their place in the judgment. It is His righteousness that saves them in sin. We cannot be perfect, thus when we sin a known sin, His righteousness will save us in our sin. He will forgive us even though we have not truly repented of our sin. They refuse to believe those who are born of God do  not sin even though they see the  Bible says "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." 1 John 3:7-10.

Secondly, not only will the saved who where righteous and then sin be lost, so will those who do not warn the righteous that if the righteous sin their previous righteousness will not be remembered and they will  surely die in their sin, their blood will be on their head. "Again, When a righteous [man] doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous [man], that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul." Eze. 3:20,21.

How many today are not warning the church that if we sin a known sin we will surely die unless we repent? Instead they say that it is the righteousness of Christ that stands in place of their unrighteousness. They teach that the saved wear filthy clothes.

[Richard Myers]

Tuesday        October 21
The Lord Is a Warrior

Read Exodus 2:23-25; Exodus 12:12-13; and Exodus 15:3-11. What does it mean that God is a warrior?

During their long sojourn in Egypt, the Israelites have forgotten the true God of their ancestors. As many episodes of their travels through the wilderness demonstrated, their knowledge of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob faded, and they had mixed pagan elements into their religious practices (compare with Exod. 32:1-4). Under the oppression of the Egyptians, they cried to the Lord (Exod. 2:23-25), and at the right time, the Lord intervened on their behalf.

However, the conflict described in the first 12 chapters of Exodus was greater than a simple power struggle between Moses and the pharaoh. According to ancient Near Eastern war ideology, conflicts between peoples were ultimately considered as being conflicts between the respective god or gods. Exodus 12:12 declares that the Lord inflicted judgment, not only on the pharaoh, but also on the gods of Egypt, those powerful demons (Lev. 17:7, Deut. 32:17) that stood behind the oppressive power and unjust social system of Egypt.

Ultimately, God is at war with sin and will not tolerate this conflict forever (Ps. 24:8; Rev. 19:11; Rev. 20:1-4, 14). All the fallen angels, as well as the human beings who have definitely and irrecoverably identified themselves with sin, will be destroyed. In light of this, the battles against the inhabitants of the land have to be perceived as an earlier stage of this conflict, which will reach its apex on the cross, and its consummation at the final judgment, when God’s justice and character of love will be vindicated.

The concept of the total destruction of the Canaanites must be understood on the basis of the biblical worldview, in which God is involved in a cosmic conflict with the exponents of evil in the universe. What is ultimately at stake are God’s reputation and His character (Rom. 3:4, Rev. 15:3).

Since sin has entered human existence, nobody can stand on neutral ground. One must be either on God’s side or on the side of evil. Hence, with this background in mind, the eradication of the Canaanites should be viewed as a preview of the final judgment.

But, the final judgment will be perfect, not as the failure in eradicating the Canaanites.

The reality of the great controversy allows for only one of two sides. How do you know which side you are really on?

The requirement for being on the side of God is to love the Lord our God with all of the heart. How do we know of we love Him? "And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us." 1 John 3:24. In other words, if we are partakers of His divine nature, we will be filled with the Holy Spirit. If so, then will not all  of the fruits of the Spirit be seen in our lives? Yes, not one will be missing. We will  have love, joy, and peace in this world as well as the world to  come.
 

[Richard Myers]

Wednesday        October 22
The Lord Will Fight for You

According to Exodus 14:13-14, 25, what was God’s original and ideal plan concerning the involvement of the Israelites in warfare?

 14:13   And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 
 14:14   The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 
 14:25   And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.

At that time God commanded Israel to not fight.

In that moment of crisis, when the people of Israel were forced into a physical impasse, “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” Exod. 14:13-14. According to the biblical narrative, even the Egyptians themselves understood that reality: “Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.” Exod. 14:25.

God’s miraculous intervention for the helpless Israelites, untrained in military skills, becomes the pattern. The Exodus constituted the model, the paradigm, for God’s intervention on behalf of Israel. Here not only is the battle fought by Yahweh, but Israel is required not to fight (Exod. 14:14). God is the warrior; the initiative belongs to Him. He establishes the strategy, defines the means, and conducts the campaign. If Yahweh does not fight for Israel, they have no possibility of success.

Ellen G. White interprets this as an expression of the fact that God “did not design that they should gain the land of promise by warfare, but through submission and unqualified obedience to his commands.”—Ellen G. White, The Signs of the Times, September 2, 1880. As in their deliverance from Egypt, God would fight their battles for them. All they had to do was stand still and witness His mighty intervention.

History demonstrates that whenever Israel had sufficient trust in God, they did not need to fight (see 2 Kings 19, 2 Chronicles 32, Isaiah 37).

In God’s ideal plan, Israel never needed to fight for themselves. It was a consequence of their unbelief, expressed after the Exodus, that God permitted them to have a part in the war conducted against the Canaanites. In the same way, they did not need to raise a single sword against the Egyptians during the Exodus; it would have never been necessary for them to fight in conquering Canaan (Deut. 7:17-19).

“If the children of Israel had not murmured against the Lord, He would not have suffered their enemies to make war with them.”—Ellen G. White, The Story of Redemption, p. 134. How might murmurings impact our lives today?

God allows tribulation to come in our lives whether we murmur or not. But, if in Christ He will not allow the tribulation to be more than we can bear. When we murmur against God, Satan can go much further in hurting us. It is interesting that God did not purpose for Israel to go to war, but is that true in the past before Israel was a nation or after Israel was cut off?

[Richard Myers]

Thursday        October 23
The Second-Best Option

Read Exodus 17:7-13 and Joshua 6:15-20. What similarities do you find between these two war narratives? How do they differ?

The first time Israel fought after the Exodus is recorded in Exodus 17, where the Israelites defended themselves against the Amalekites. Israel had witnessed God’s almighty power in both afflicting the Egyptians and leading the Israelites to freedom. We have seen that God’s initial plan for Israel did not include fighting against other people (Exod. 23:28, Exod. 33:2). But shortly after their deliverance from Egypt, the Israelites started to murmur on the way (Exod. 17:3), even questioning God’s presence in their midst. It was at this moment that Amalek came to fight against Israel. This was not by chance. God allowed the Amalekites to attack Israel so that they might learn to trust Him again.

Without compromising His principles, God comes down to the level where His people are, continually calling them back to the ideal plan: complete and unreserved trust in divine intervention. In fact, the law of warfare (Deuteronomy 20) was given only after the 40 years of wilderness experience, which was also caused by Israel’s unbelief. New circumstances demanded new strategies, and it was only then that God required Israel to completely annihilate the Canaanites (Deut. 20:16-18).

Besides the reality that war became a necessity for Israel, it also turned out to be a test of their allegiance to Yahweh. God did not give up on them but allowed them to witness His power by experiencing total dependence on Him.

The participation of the Israelites in the conquest is evident from the conclusion drawn by Joshua at the end of the book. Here the Canaanites are said to have been fighting against the Israelites (Josh. 24:11). While the collapse of the walls of Jericho was the result of a divine miracle, the people of Israel had to be actively involved in the battle and face the stubborn resistance of the city’s inhabitants.

Israel’s participation in armed conflict became a way to develop unconditional trust in Yahweh’s help. Yet Israel was always reminded (Josh. 7:12-13; Josh. 10:8 ) that the outcome of each battle ultimately lay in the Lord’s hands, and the only way they could influence the outcome of a military conflict was through their attitude of faith, or unbelief, toward the promises of the Lord. The choice was their own.

Amen! And do we need war today to develop trust in the Lord? Or, was it necessary for Israel  to  go to war for them  to trust in God? No. They were given the sanctuary that if followed would have revealed how much God loved them and how much a price was to be paid for their redemption. Murmuring and unbelief come from not being connected with God. Many in Israel were never converted, and so it is today, few are truly converted. Even in His Church today most are not converted as it was in the day when more than a prophet was in the Church.

Will not those who profess to be Christians walk in the light of the Sun of Righteousness showing by their life and character that they realize the value of the atoning sacrifice of Christ our Saviour? The truth is not to be rendered lusterless by a manifestation of our own unsanctified, selfish spirit. The truth must shine forth in the life; then Christ is glorified. Emptied of self we must be, else we cannot show that Christ is formed within, the hope of glory. The Lord would have self hidden, for when it appears, souls are misled. The preciousness and importance of truth must appear, and will appear, when self is hid with Christ in God; then Jesus will be revealed in our lives. Our characters will be molded after the divine similitude. Then the Holy Spirit will control the human agent. Men will possess the attributes of Christ.

The minds of many are clouded with unbelief because those who unite with the church as the chosen of God do not reveal the virtues that are the fruits of the Spirit. Joining the church is not a sure evidence that a man has joined himself to Christ. The new birth is a rare experience in this age of the world. This is the reason why there are so many perplexities in the churches. Many, so many, who assume the name of Christ are unsanctified and unholy. They have been baptized, but they were buried alive. Self did not die, and therefore they did not rise to newness of life in Christ. 12MR 51.

A strong rebuke of God is upon His Church today, as it was in the past. In the message straight from Jesus we find the rebuke, but also find the solution that all might be converted:

 3:14   And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 
 3:15   I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 
 3:16   So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 
 3:17   Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 
 3:18   I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 
 3:19   As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 
 3:20   Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 
 3:21   To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 
 3:22   He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 

The destiny of the Church hangs on this message. When it is given it will cause a shaking in the church. Few understand that there will be many who will rise up against this message. This is what will cause the shaking in the church.

I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen, and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this will cause a shaking among God’s people.
 
The testimony of the True Witness has not been half heeded. The solemn testimony upon which the destiny of the church hangs has been lightly esteemed, if not entirely disregarded. This testimony must work deep repentance, and all that truly receive it will obey it and be purified.  Vol 1, Testimonies For the Church, pg 181.

May be not be found of those who cause the shaking in the church, but rather have the courage to  present the message sent by the True Witness our Lord and Savior. This message will bring revival and reformation into a filthy Laodicean Church.

I was shown that the testimony to the Laodiceans applies to God’s people at the present time, and the reason it has not accomplished a greater work is because of the hardness of their hearts. But God has given the message time to do its work. The heart must be purified from sins which have so long shut out Jesus. This fearful message will do its work. When it was first presented, it led to close examination of heart. Sins were confessed, and the people of God were stirred everywhere. Nearly all believed that this message would end in the loud cry of the third angel. But as they failed to see the powerful work accomplished in a short time, many lost the effect of the message. I saw that this message would not accomplish its work in a few short months. It is designed to arouse the people of God, to discover to them their backslidings, and to lead to zealous repentance, that they may be favored with the presence of Jesus, and be fitted for the loud cry of the third angel. As this message affected the heart, it led to deep humility before God. Angels were sent in every direction to prepare unbelieving hearts for the truth. The cause of God began to rise, and His people were acquainted with their position. If the counsel of the True Witness had been fully heeded, God would have wrought for His people in greater power. Yet the efforts made since the message has been given, have been blessed of God, and many souls have been brought from error and darkness to rejoice in the truth.  1T 186.

And the Bible also reveals that the Seventh-day Adventist Church will see a revival and reformation.

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. Eze. 36:25.

And from Eze. 37 we find a message to modern day Israel:


 37:1   The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which [was] full of bones, 
 37:2   And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, [there were] very many in the open valley; and, lo, [they were] very dry. 
 37:3   And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. 
 37:4   Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 
 37:5   Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 
 37:6   And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD. 
 37:7   So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 
 37:8   And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but [there was] no breath in them. 
 37:9   Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 
 37:10   So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 
 

[Richard Myers]

Friday        October 24

Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Fall of Jericho,” pp. 487-493, in Patriarchs and Prophets.

When rebellion against God’s authority arose in the universe, either God was going to cease to be what He essentially, immutably, and eternally is and give away the leadership of the whole universe to one of His rebellious creatures, or He was going to be the holy, righteous, loving, and merciful Father of all that exists. The Bible presents the second picture and, in this case, the clash between the forces of evil and His power is inevitable.

God would not give away leadership of the universe.  He could have destroyed Satan and the  evil angels, but this would not have prevented affliction from arising a second time. If Satan had been destroyed, maybe Adam would not have sinned. There  is no reason to say that sin would come a second time. But, God put into action a plan that would put an end to  sin forever IF Jesus was successful in suffering for the sins of all humanity. He could have failed. There was a risk in choosing to save us. What a God we serve!!

When political or sociohistorical powers associated with chaotic and rebellious cosmic forces manifested the same defiant attitude against Yahweh, He, as the Sovereign Lord of the universe, intervened. The motif of Yahweh as a warrior becomes a prefiguration of that ultimate victory, which will finally put an end to the ongoing cosmic conflict between good and evil (Rev. 20:8-10). Moreover, Israel’s divine wars not only reflect a glimpse of the cosmic conflict as in a mirror but are part and parcel of the same controversy, anticipating God’s end-time judgment in the sphere of present history.


“God had made it their privilege and their duty to enter the land at the time of His appointment, but through their willful neglect that permission had been withdrawn. . . . It was not His purpose that they should gain the land by warfare, but by strict obedience to His commands.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 392.

This was not speaking of the time Joshua was their leader, but when Moses was leading them. There is an important lesson here for us in our day.

When God had bidden them go up and take the land, they had refused; and now when He directed them to retreat they were equally rebellious. They determined to seize upon the land and possess it; it might be that God would accept their work and change His purpose toward them.

God had made it their privilege and their duty to enter the land at the time of His appointment, but through their willful neglect that permission had been withdrawn. Satan had gained his object in preventing them from entering Canaan; and now he urged them on to do the very thing, in the face of the divine prohibition, which they had refused to do when God required it. Thus the great deceiver gained the victory by leading them to rebellion the second time. They had distrusted the power of God to work with their efforts in gaining possession of Canaan; yet now they presumed upon their own strength to accomplish the work independent of divine aid. “We have sinned against the Lord,” they cried; “we will go up and fight, according to all that the Lord our God commanded us.” Deuteronomy 1:41. So terribly blinded had they become by transgression. The Lord had never commanded them to “go up and fight.” It was not His purpose that they should gain the land by warfare, but by strict obedience to His commands.
 
Though their hearts were unchanged, the people had been brought to confess the sinfulness and folly of their rebellion at the report of the spies. They now saw the value of the blessing which they had so rashly cast away. They confessed that it was their own unbelief which had shut them out from Canaan. “We have sinned,” they said, acknowledging that the fault was in themselves, and not in God, whom they had so wickedly charged with failing to fulfill His promises to them. Though their confession did not spring from true repentance, it served to vindicate the justice of God in His dealings with them.

The Lord still works in a similar manner to glorify His name by bringing men to acknowledge His justice. When those who profess to love Him complain of His providence, despise His promises, and, yielding to temptation, unite with evil angels to defeat the purposes of God, the Lord often so overrules circumstances as to bring these persons where, though they may have no real repentance, they will be convinced of their sin and will be constrained to acknowledge the wickedness of their course and the justice and goodness of God in His dealings with them. It is thus that God sets counteragencies at work to make manifest the works of darkness. And though the spirit which prompted to the evil course is not radically changed, confessions are made that vindicate the honor of God and justify His faithful reprovers, who have been opposed and misrepresented. Thus it will be when the wrath of God shall be finally poured out. When “the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints, to execute judgment upon all,” He will also “convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds.” Jude 14, 15. Every sinner will be brought to see and acknowledge the justice of his condemnation.  PP 393.

Yes, when after a thousand years they are brought forth from their graves, all will bow down to Christ and confess their sins. They will understand why they are condemned and will  suffer for every sin they ever committed. They are thrown into the Lake of Fire. The worm will not die until justice is satisfied. Satan will suffer the longest.


Discussion Questions:

    How does the cosmic conflict background help you better understand the Lord’s commanding Israel to go to war?

    In class, discuss your answers to Monday’s question regarding the reality of the great controversy and how it plays out in the world around us. What is our role in this controversy, and how do we seek to fulfill it?

    How can we apply the principle of standing still and waiting for the Lord to fight for us in our spiritual life?

    Many times, in our discussions and occasional disagreements in the church, we want to see who is on our side. How should we change our attitude in light of Joshua 5:13-15?

[rahab]

These lessons from this quarterly have been quite thought provoking

[Richard Myers]

Amen. Lessons in Greek and Hebrew! Good to see your thoughts on the lessons!

And as of yesterday we have extended the Day of Atonement to 182 years. How much longer does Jesus have to stay in the sanctuary? As long as continue dirtying it. He cannot stop judging until He has a church which has stopped sinning. Then He will say He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still:and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Rev. 22:11

[Bill Wennell]

I have some concerns regarding what the lesson is trying to portray and how it is going about doing so. On Wednesday and Thursday (as well as next week's lesson) the lesson keeps repeating "they (the Israelites) did not need to fight" and "the Israelites never needed to fight for themselves". And that "it would have never been necessary for them to fight in conquering Canaan". Even quoting two passages from Ellen White that God "did not design that they should gain the land of promise by warfare..." (ST 9-2-1880 (on Wednesday) and "It was not His (God's) purpose that they should gain the land by warfare..." (on Friday - more on this below). Interesting that they should place two almost exact quotations almost as if they are trying to drill a thought in that I believe is a misinterpretation.

Notice what Ellen White does write regarding when the Amalekites attacked Israel in their desert wanderings:

"As the Hebrews triumphed when Moses was reaching his hands toward heaven and interceding in their behalf, so the Israel of God prevail when they by faith take hold upon the strength of their mighty Helper. Yet divine strength is to be combined with human effort. Moses did not believe that God would overcome their foes while Israel remained inactive. While the great leader was pleading with the Lord, Joshua and his brave followers were putting forth their utmost efforts to repulse the enemies of Israel and of God." { PP 299.2}

And if we look at the EGW quote on Friday we notice there is an elipsis which, when restored, reads as follows:

"God had made it their privilege and their duty to enter the land at the time of His appointment, but through their willful neglect that permission had been withdrawn.

(The following was what was omitted in the Friday passage...)
Satan had gained his object in preventing them from entering Canaan; and now he urged them on to do the very thing, in the face of the divine prohibition, which they had refused to do when God required it. Thus the great deceiver gained the victory by leading them to rebellion the second time. They had distrusted the power of God to work with their efforts in gaining possession of Canaan; yet now they presumed upon their own strength to accomplish the work independent of divine aid. “We have sinned against the Lord,” they cried; “we will go up and fight, according to all that the Lord our God commanded us.” Deuteronomy 1:41. So terribly blinded had they become by transgression. The Lord had never commanded them to “go up and fight.”

(Then it picks back up with...)
It was not His purpose that they should gain the land by warfare, but by strict obedience to His commands." { PP 392.3}

It appears that what she is saying is that they were NOT to take the land by their own warfare as both the other quotes demonstrate that God was teaching them to add their efforts to His strength. Therefore, I think we are being sold a bill of goods that is not Biblical.

I read once where Sister White stated that the taking of the Promised Land was an allegory on overcoming sin in our lives to prepare us for the heavenly Promised Land. I cannot find that quote anymore though I have looked diligently for it. If that is so, then it is even more imperative that we put forth all our effort, as Joshua did in the quote above AND ally ourselves with Christ in the battle to enter heaven and disregard the push to have us think Christ does it all for us. It is true that God did not use the Isrealites to take Jericho but that is because God does show us His strength before requiring us to lean on Him fully while we manfully fight the battles He puts before us.

If anyone knows, or runs across, such a statement, please let me know.

[Richard Myers]

Brother Bill, glad to see your post. I too saw the problem and presented the truth about God and war. Today's SS Lesson   Have a blessed Sabbath dear friends.