Lesson 8 for August 20, 2011

IN GOD’S EYES God is the only One who can correctly distinguish between good and evil. The only reliable way to do right is to follow the advice He has given us in His word and to obey His laws and commandments. God is the only One who can correctly distinguish between good and evil. The only reliable way to do right is to follow the advice He has given us in His word and to obey His laws and commandments. “because you have listened to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy, 13: 18) IN MAN’S EYES Sin is so established in our human nature that we are not able to distinguish the difference between good and evil by ourselves. Furthermore, even some of the angels and Adam and Eve, with a free of sin nature, chose the evil path. Sin is so established in our human nature that we are not able to distinguish the difference between good and evil by ourselves. Furthermore, even some of the angels and Adam and Eve, with a free of sin nature, chose the evil path. “They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one” (Psalm, 14: 3)

We are going to study three ways of deterioration that carry us from a true worship to a false one. Little subtle changes, small compromises, apparently without importance, that turn our heart away. Solomon Adapting the way of worshipping, changing the clear divine rules for other rules that seem better to us. Jeroboam Total rebellion. Stop worshipping God, looking for other kinds of worship for mere amusement, devoting our time to modern idols or just openly rejecting God. Ahab

Marrying several women “Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away... “ (Dt. 17: 17) “And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart” (1K. 11: 3) Marrying non-Israelite women “Nor shall you make marriages with them [non- Israelites]... For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods” (Dt. 7: 3-4) “But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites” (1K. 11: 1) Collecting horses “But he shall not multiply horses for himself... “ (Dt. 17: 16) “And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen” (1K. 10: 26) Hoarding wealth “…nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself” (Dt. 17: 17) “The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents [22,777 kg / 50,214 pound] of gold” (1K. 10: 14,21) In the description of the wealth and glory of Solomon in the Bible (1 Kings, 10-11), we can find many signs of moral weakness:

Little compromises in Solomon’s life led him to openly worship idols, breaking the covenant he made with God in his youth. “Solomon was so engrossed with thoughts of outward display that he failed to elevate his mind by a constant connection with the God of wisdom. Perfection and beauty of character were overlooked in his attempt to obtain outward beauty. He sold his honor and integrity of character in seeking to glorify himself before the world, and finally became a despot, supporting his extravagance by a grinding taxation upon the people. He first became corrupt at heart, then he apostatized from God, and finally became a worshiper of idols” E.G.W. (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, no. 30, “Simplicity in dress”, pg. 628) “Solomon was so engrossed with thoughts of outward display that he failed to elevate his mind by a constant connection with the God of wisdom. Perfection and beauty of character were overlooked in his attempt to obtain outward beauty. He sold his honor and integrity of character in seeking to glorify himself before the world, and finally became a despot, supporting his extravagance by a grinding taxation upon the people. He first became corrupt at heart, then he apostatized from God, and finally became a worshiper of idols” E.G.W. (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, no. 30, “Simplicity in dress”, pg. 628)

Jeroboam tried to make the people of Israel stop going to Jerusalem, feigning he was obeying God’s commandments at the same time. But God had promised him that if he obeyed His commandments, He would always be with him, his descendants would reign and the kingdom of Israel would be always loyal to Him. (1 Kings, 11: 38)

This was Jeroboam’s solution to modify the divine worship God ordered, according to his own ideas.

“Men today are in danger of manifesting the same spirit that Jeroboam manifested, and of doing a work similar in character to the work that he did. His plans, put into operation, led the children of Israel away from God into idolatry, and they performed and permitted terrible evils. The Judge of all the earth will lay to the charge of Jeroboam the awful results of his course. And to the charge of those who follow his example will be laid the results of their wrong course” (SDA Bible Commentary, Ellen White commentary on 1 Kings 12: 25-33) Do I worship God according to my own opinion or do I seek the right guidelines in the Word of God?

During Ahab’s reign, the worship to idols had replaced the worship to God. There were only few believers who hadn’t bowed the knee to Baal (7,000). God sent Elijah to face the people and lead them to make the decision of abandoning the idols. On Mount Carmel, the people could understand the huge difference between the emotional, stimulating, noisy and ineffective worship to Baal and the simple and effective worship to God that Elijah carried out. We must not think that the greater the noise, the louder the music or the more stimulating our worship is, the better our worship will be. Our worship must be centered in the true God; it must be established in His Word and it must point God and His work in history. God accepts the humble prayer, the simplicity and the order in worship.

The crucial question Elijah faced is vitally important for us today: How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” (1 Kings, 18: 21) In the End Time, God has raised a people that must carry the message of Elijah to the world. The last controversy in Earth will revolve around worship and will split the world in two groups: Those who worship God according to what He established and those who don’t. Today God gives you the opportunity to choose the group you want to be in. Choose to worship God without compromise.

“As we near the end of time, falsehood will be so mingled with truth, that only those who have the guidance of the Holy Spirit will be able to distinguish truth from error. We need to make every effort to keep the way of the Lord. We must in no case turn from His guidance to put our trust in man. The Lord’s angels are appointed to keep strict watch over those who put their faith in the Lord, and these angels are to be our special help in every time of need. Every day we are to come to the Lord with full assurance of faith, and to look to Him for wisdom.... Those who are guided by the Word of the Lord will discern with certainty between falsehood and truth, between sin and righteousness” E.G.W. (God’s amazing grace, July 12, p. 201)