Gods Sabbath

O PPOSING P RINCIPLES OF O PERATION

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Christ, who understood their thoughts, had already provided an explanation for His behavior which, if they had trusted and accepted it, was more than satisfactory. While not intimating ex actly what the plan was, He had told them that the whole mat ter was in God’s perfectly capable hands and would turn out well in the end. His words: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God” should have been a consolation to them. There fore, they had no more reason to be sorrowful or worried than did their Master. His attitude, not theirs, demonstrated true Sabbath rest, and is the example for us to follow today. After waiting for two days “... he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” John 11:7. The disciples were perplexed. If their judgment had been fol lowed, Christ would have gone to Bethany while the sufferer was still alive. Once Lazarus had died, in their opinion it was too late to go there. Christ’s conduct did not fit in with their plans at all. Furthermore they could see nothing but danger in the course their Master was about to pursue. Repeatedly the Jews had tried to put Him to death (see John 5:16; 7:25, 32, 44; 8:59). Anx iety for Christ and for themselves was now uppermost in the minds of the disciples. “‘But Rabbi,’ they said, ‘a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?’” John 11:8. Here we have a clear revelation of the short-sightedness of human plan making. When, in order to fulfill God’s purposes it was critical that Christ stay away, they said He should go. After two days, when it became essential for Him to go to Bethany, the disciples insisted that He must not go. If the plans formed and advanced by the disciples had been the order of the day, God’s work would have been completely frustrated, for they decided on courses which were diametrically opposed to God’s will. Had they been dedicated to defeating Christ’s mission, they could not have made more effective choices. The real fact was, of course, that they loved the cause of God and were dedicated to doing all they could to advance it. But Human Plan Making Exposed