Gods Sabbath

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E NTERING INTO G OD ’ S S ABBATH R EST

Christ had obviously learned this lesson from the experience of Israel. More than 400 years earlier, Moses had delivered them the message that the education gained through enduring hunger was to teach them the lesson that they were to live by every word from God rather than merely by physical food. “The L ORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness.... He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the L ORD .” Deuteronomy 8:2, 3 (NKJV). Just as divine provision was granted Israel to teach them to trust in the word of God, so Jesus expected help from the self same word. He knew that obedience to that word was superior to any other consideration. His experience is expressed as follows: “In the wilderness, when all means of sustenance failed, God sent His people manna from heaven; and a sufficient and constant supply was given. This provision was to teach them that while they trusted in God and walked in His ways He would not forsake them. The Saviour now practiced the lesson He had taught to Israel. By the word of God succor had been given to the Hebrew host, and by the same word it would be given to Jesus. He awaited God’s time to bring relief. He was in the wilderness in obedience to God, and He would not obtain food by following the suggestions of Satan. In the presence of the witnessing universe, He testified that it is a less calamity to suffer whatever may befall than to depart in any manner from the will of God.” The Desire of Ages , 121.1. When the Lord permitted Israel to suffer hunger, they felt that He was unfaithful to them. Had they been prepared to un derstand that God had a special educational purpose in this, they would have borne the trial with fortitude and even grati tude. To them, as with the majority of people, the most impor tant thing was to live in comfort, health, and prosperity. They failed to learn that what is of far greater consequence is to recog nize and accept their rightfully appointed place as sons, not fa thers, no matter what the resultant suffering and loss might be. There is no doubt about sickness, loss, and death being major calamities in themselves, but they are minor when compared with the much greater calamity of departing, in any degree,