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If you’re at all familiar with the New Testament, you know the verse from which the title of this study has been drawn, and you also have a pretty good idea of where the first part is going. Like much of Yahshua’s teaching during His earthly ministry, this is an instruction to understand and love the Law of Yahweh.
The passage, of course, is, “Consider the lilies, how they grow. They toil not, they spin not, and yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then Yahweh so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the Kingdom of Yah, and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” (Luke 12:27-32)
How is this related to the Law? I think that this is one of the fundamental misunderstandings that many people have when they read the Scriptures. They see the Law as a set of rules, a set of restrictive instructions, and then they see the Gospel as something else, something newer, something better, something freeing and joyful. This is the idea, if not the explicit teaching, of the majority of modern churches, and yet it is a disgrace to our loving Father in Heaven.
The Law is not some remnant of a past, judicial God. It is the same God who so loved the world that He sacrificed His Son for us that gave us the 10 commandments. It is the same loving Creator that receives us in the name of Yahshua that said in earlier days, “Thou shalt not steal.” It is the same God who sends us the Comforter, His very presence, to dwell in us, to keep us from harm, to give us the right testimony before the world, that instructed the Israelites in the way that they should walk. The Bible is not a book of two messages, but one.
When, therefore, Yahshua says to the people, “Your Father in Heaven knows what you need, and will not deny you any necessary thing,” He is teaching them about the Law of His Father.
The very first commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me,” (Exo 20:3) is a declaration of ownership. The Creator is claiming the nation of Israel, and all who would journey with it, as His own personal possession. Despite population differences, military might, or any other strategic advantage, the enemies of Israel invariably fell in battle before them, so long as they were faithful to their covenant. The human conflicts that took place in the Old Testament times were physical representations of the Great Controversy between Christ and Satan, and as a witness to the world and the universe, the People of Yahweh inevitably fulfilled their calling, establishing themselves as a nation and a kingdom. They had no need to fear failure, or destruction, so long as they were obedient to their God.
Yahweh would have His people worship no other god, for no other gods existed that could give them such safety, such security, such assurance of life and a future. Therefore, to rest in His promises, to trust in His guidance, this was a sign of obedience to the very first principle of His Law. When Yahshua taught His audience to rest, without care or worry, like the lilies in the field, He was reminding them of the power of Yah to provide for His people.
There is also an obvious connection here to the Sabbath commandment. This is in the Law for the very same reason that the first commandment is Law; they are actually the very same principle, just expressed differently. So are all the other commandments. Why should a man who trusts in Yahweh for his every need steal, or kill, commit adultery, deceive others, or even covet his neighbor’s goods? The principle behind the Law may be very simply summed up as contentment.
Those who love Yahweh supremely, above all others and everything else, are content with what He has provided, and what He has promised to provide. Those who love their neighbors as themselves are content among them, and further, are willing to share what is necessary for all to be satisfied. True love, agape, cannot exist where there is discontent. Where there is envy, gossip, or mistrust, there is no perfect, divine love; therefore, yes, the principle behind the Law is agape-love, and the way it is expressed in the thoughts, words, and actions, is in Sabbath-rest, in contentment.
Every commandment in the Law teaches us this. Every sermon of the Messiah teaches us this. The message is the same. We hear of people in disagreement. We hear of families in conflict. We hear of people dissatisfied with their lot in life. They are looking for the Law, even though they would never be able to describe it that way. They are looking for a way to become obedient to the Law, and we who know and love the Law must be able to explain that to them.
Salvation is not by the Law, but the Law is the blessing given to those who are saved. Yahweh first chose Israel, and then provided them with a transcript of His character on tablets of stone. That is the proper order. Obedience comes with and after salvation; salvation is not earned by obedience. The purpose of the Law is to bless us and keep us safe, spiritually and otherwise; (Deu 5:29) thus, the standard of the Law is a safeguard against suffering. If someone is suffering, nine times out of ten, it is because of disobedience to the Law of Yahweh. Yes, there are martyrs. Sometimes the tribulation of our Father’s People is intended as a witness… but our Creator does not desire a moment of unnecessary pain or inconvenience to fall on those who call on His Name.
He feeds the birds of the air. He provides grass for the beasts of the field. He clothes the lilies in finer garments than the wealthiest king. He cares for you, and has established a way for your ultimate success.
Now, this might begin to sound a bit like the “prosperity Gospel” that you have heard about. That isn’t what this is. This is true success, the purification and perfection of character. It is very rarely the case that an increase in worldly success leads to the refinement of the soul. It’s not impossible; if the lesson one needs to learn is moderation, then Yah may permit that person to become rich so that they learn how to be generous to others, and frugal even in the presence of excess. More often, though, patience and discretion are learned through hardship; thus, Yahshua says, “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.” (Rev 3:18)
These are the necessary treasures: faith that has endured trial (for that is true wealth), the garments of good character (for that is your destiny), and discernment (so that you may see and love the truth). These are the three things that are necessary for perfect sanctification, that keep us from temptation and the deceptions of the last days.
These three things all come about through contentment. Those who are discontent will never endure a fiery trial. When things seem to go contrary to their needs or desires, they react carnally, and lose the opportunity to be purified. Those who are discontent violate the Law of Yahweh, as we have just seen – the first and fourth commandments at a bare minimum – and thus cannot be clothed by the garment of Christ’s righteousness. Those who are discontent cannot see clearly ahead. Of spiritual eyesight the Word says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the Law, happy is he.” (Pro 29:18)
This is exactly what we are talking about, this contrast. There are those who keep the Law, not legalistically, but because they know its blessing, and on the other hand we have those who are without vision and consequently “perish.” Those who keep the Law are “happy,” they are content, therefore they are enabled to receive these three treasures of sanctification from Christ.
The world cannot see the difference between obedience due to love, and obedience for selfish reasons, for self-justification. The world will see a saint, saved by grace and lovingly fulfilling the obligations of His Father’s instructions, and will see the legalist trying to work his way into Heaven through His own efforts, and these two will look exactly the same. Outwardly, they might indeed look quite similar. The legalist may be joyful at the idea that he is working towards his salvation, and may even be able to give a good sermon or Bible study about it, but if you examine his character, you will see that he is not content – he is not being like the lily. His peace comes from the idea that someday, maybe someday soon, he will be good enough to escape destruction, but right now he is a sinner, struggling against the flesh, and his hope is a future fulfillment of freedom. He lives in a kind of hope, but that hope is not the Biblical faith; it is the hope for something that he could already have, but will never have if he does not reach for it in the moment.
Remember, there are three things necessary for the completion of sanctification: faith, a good character, and discernment. Those who do not see the Law and the Gospel as the same, those who do not accept the Gospel just as it is given, reveal a lack of these things. When we speak of victory over sin, when we speak of the gift of righteousness by faith, and the subsequent unity of believers, how do people receive it? Do they understand it to be a fulfillment of Christ’s teachings? Do they say, “Like the lilies of the field, I will rest and let Him clothe me in righteousness?” Or do they say, instead, “I need to do my best to get some good clothing?”
We were talking about the limits of faith last week. We saw that we are given an invincible faith, a guarantee of success in all spiritual endeavors. This does not mean that everything works out the way we expect. There are lessons that we and others must learn through our experiences, and this often means encountering challenges and perplexities. One or two brethren expressed a desire to know more about this, and I believe that this passage from Luke 12 that started off today’s study is another angle on the same idea.
Lilies are not designed to last forever in this world. As the very passage says, they are torn up, and cast into the oven from time to time. And yet, while they grow, while they bloom, they fulfill their purpose. Nothing can diminish their beauty, or ignore the way that the represent the Creator’s glory. They are not indestructible, but they are perfectly equipped for their function. This is the testimony of the saint. Because I rest in my Father’s will, I am perfectly equipped for my function. This doesn’t mean I will throw myself off a tower, or engage in reckless behavior as “proof” of my blessings. For that to which I am called, however, I am perfectly suited.
Those who are without vision, without character, and without faith, do not understand the testimony. Just this week we heard it again in our ministry to reach out to the lost and dying, the statement that those who claim victory over sin are rejecting Christ since, if we do not transgress the Law, we are saying we do not need a Savior. In their minds, it appears, we are saying that we have learned enough of righteousness to be able to accomplish it on our own. They reason why they believe this is because this is their sin, this is their misunderstanding, projected unto others. Because they do not believe that Christ dwells in them, they see Him as an external Guide, one that may be followed to a greater or lesser degree, but never perfectly, never step-for-step, because they are separate from Him due to the sinfulness of their flesh.
They do not believe in the miracle, that the sinful flesh is not a barrier to the Messiah dwelling in us. They say, “I am too evil for Christ to live in me. He cannot go where it is unholy. Nobody can claim to truly be ‘one’ with the Son of God.” And yet, Yahshua took on our flesh. He took on our cursed nature. He came to this sinful earth over which Satan is the current god and ruler, for the enemy is called “the god of this world.” (2Cor 4:4) The Savior came to us despite the evils of this world, and took on the legacy of Adam, to die because of sin. He proved that the flesh is not a barrier He cannot cross. And so, because of His goodness, because of His divine power, because of His love for us, He dwells by His Spirit even in me, and even in you, despite this sinful flesh, and brings about a life of contentment, and of obedience to the Law. This is the miracle that the world needs to believe and accept.
Those who lack faith in this miracle cannot accept that Christ comes to dwell in His people; therefore, if they claim to be without known sin, it must mean that they have followed behind Him – in their own efforts – perfectly, and have overcome the need for His mediation. This is contrary to the Word. It is because of His mediation that we do this. Because of His in-dwelling Spirit, and His patience, and His active atonement when we do discover something new to put away… that is the only reason that this is possible. It is Christ in us, which is the “hope of glory,” (Col 1:27) not our steps behind Him on the way to Heaven.
This is the lesson of the lilies. We work best when we are at rest. We accomplish work of eternal significance only through contentment, and this contentment only exists in a state of harmony with the Law.
There is one more thing I would like us to consider about this passage from Luke 12, and that is the “timeliness” of the instruction. We are Creation Seventh Day Adventists. That is our name. It was given to us for a reason, for a purpose – to be a standing rebuke to the errors of this particular generation. We were not called to be Non-Trinitarian SDAs, or Feast-keeping SDAs, or any similar title. These are issues of some importance to Yah’s people at this time, but our Father gave us a name best calculated to arrest the attention of truly curious souls, and to address the primary modern issue with the understanding of the Gospel – that it is seen as an evolutionary, rather than creative, spiritual event. The Gospel converts an individual from a sinner to a saint in an instant, at the moment Christ is accepted, not over long, slow periods of time, and not at some point in the future when we shall “finally” be able to cease from sin.
Yahweh says, “Let there be light,” and there is light… as quickly, and as simply as that. This is the understanding that the world most needs to have right now with regard to the ministry of Yahshua and the nature of His Gospel. With this message, all the other pieces fall into place. Without it, no other doctrine matters, for they will be struggling with self while trying to figure out what the Pioneers “really meant” by this or that passage, and it will profit them nothing. It certainly won’t edify them through the putting away of sin.
In such a time as it is needed, Yah gives the perfect message. When Yahshua taught the people about the lilies of the field, He was giving them a most timely instruction. This was in an age of great legalism by the spiritual leaders. The Pharisees and Sadducees were adding rule upon rule to the Sabbath, to tithing, and to every other commandment in an effort to “keep” the Law through their own cautions, guidelines and efforts. Their focus on physical obedience completely obscured the purpose of the Law and made it a burden, to the degree that the Apostles needed to make strenuous efforts to correct the people’s perception. Through the continued work of the enemy, these efforts have been taken to the opposite extreme by modern Christianity, which throws away the blessing of the Law along with legalism, the good things of Yahweh’s covenant with the bad things that were introduced by the Jewish influences. They are applying the right message at the wrong time, because the real and present danger right now is not so much legalism (although this has never gone away entirely), it is unbelief and a disregard of all that is holy, even among those who claim to be Christ’s.
Timeliness is a critical, but often under-appreciated, element of Biblical understanding. Because timeliness is not taken into account, many who read the Word, or indeed, any inspired writing, may not realize that a statement may be true at a certain time, and outdated at another. An instruction given to one people under a certain set of circumstances may not apply to another, or at least, might be the wrong emphasis for that generation. This is, after all, why Seventh-day Adventists are still waiting for a Sunday Law to fulfill the Mark of The Beast prophecy, despite that fact that the organization to which that prophecy was given has already fallen.
“Time and place must be considered,” inspiration tells us, when attempting to understand the divine. The reason why there are so many fanatics, so many so-called reformers with the wrong focus, is because they have not learned to read the “signs of the times.” They do not hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, to know what Yah would have us do in this present day.
Because of the influence of the Pharisees and Sadducees, Yahshua had to teach the people about contentment. Now, principles are forever. The Sabbath commandment was established from the very beginning, and so this teaching, which highlights the Sabbath rest principle, will always be true and important. However, because of modern deceptions, the saints must be wise in the way that they present even the most true and useful of principles. They must be careful in the words that they use so as not to introduce or encourage a ditch on the other side of the road. For the sake of their own understanding, they must ensure that they are always balanced in their beliefs and practices.
The flesh is more likely to fall into a religion of works than to take the concept of “rest” too far. Despite this, we do find fanatics who will disregard other true teachings, and say, “Well, flowers don’t do anything, so once we accept Christ, we just need to hang out and wait for the harvest.” We have spoken about this as a Church, and it’s an idea that bears repeating. Rest does not mean spiritual paralysis. Sabbath does not mean a lack of activity. Where there is life, there are the processes that support and maintain life. Resting in Christ is “life” indeed, and life most full.
Spiritual life involves “watching and praying” for temptations. It involves actively seeking opportunities to share our testimony with others. It involves diligent self-examination, and a willingness to honestly question one’s self should some undesirable trait of character surface unexpectedly. This is a balance point that the world will not understand, just as it does not understand victory over sin. To the flesh, it must either be this extreme, or that. It must either be this edge of the road or the other, never in the straight, narrow, middle.
Job prayed, “Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.” (Job 31:6) The judgment of Yahweh is fair, and open… it is not done in secret, nor is it a thing that the righteous are to fear. Even the truth, as we know, may be twisted by an unrighteous character, and used for evil. The judgment of Yah does not honor those who use His own words to satisfy a carnal impulse.
Remember that faith and discernment must be combined with Christ’s own character for the fulfillment of one’s redemption. It is not in the character of Christ to coexist with sin, nor to overlook neglect. The soul that is being sanctified will not use the principle of “rest” to avoid the very real work of cooperating with providence to overcome negative tendencies, and to learn of perfect righteousness. This is not the kind of “work” that attempts to earn salvation, however. There is a very subtle difference here that is easily missed. The lilies of the field might not labor, but they grow. There is an active principle to life that sees maturity, and that sees the overcoming of challenges. If you put a rock over the stalk of a growing flower, the flower will grow around it.
We don’t think of plants as “doing” things, and yet when something is blocking their view of the sun, or when water is scarce, or when their natural progress is obstructed, they will attempt to obtain what they need. That “work” is in their nature. And so while they rest, and appear to be passive, they are actually, actively doing all that they can to sustain and maximize the life that they have been given. They overcome, they grow around, or through, and they bloom to give their testimony to the world. This is the perfect picture of the saints, given to the world at the perfect time so that, with a properly balanced view, and with the Spirit’s guidance, we demonstrate an invincible faith to draw others close to our Father’s House.
David.