God’s Design in Our Sanitariums
193
Christ was their instructor. As He was with them in the wilderness,
so after their establishment in the Promised Land He was still their
Teacher and Guide. In the tabernacle and the temple His glory dwelt in
the holy Shekinah above the mercy seat. In their behalf He constantly
manifested the riches of His love and patience.
God desired to make of His people Israel a praise and a glory.
Every spiritual advantage was given them. God withheld from them
[222]
nothing favorable to the formation of character that would make them
representatives of Himself.
Their obedience to the laws of God would make them marvels of
prosperity before the nations of the world. He who could give them
wisdom and skill in all cunning work would continue to be their teacher
and would ennoble and elevate them through obedience to His laws.
If obedient, they would be preserved from the diseases that afflicted
other nations and would be blessed with vigor of intellect. The glory of
God, His majesty and power, were to be revealed in all their prosperity.
They were to be a kingdom of priests and princes. God furnished them
with every facility for becoming the greatest nation on the earth.
In the most definite manner, God through Moses set before them
His purpose and made plain the terms of their prosperity. “Thou art
an holy people unto the Lord thy God,” He said; the Lord thy God
hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people
that are upon the face of the earth.... Know therefore that the Lord thy
God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy
with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand
generations.... It shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments,
and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the
covenant and the mercy which He sware unto thy fathers: and He will
love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee.... Thou shalt be blessed
above all people.”
Deuteronomy 7:6-14
.
“Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk
in His ways, and to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His
judgments, and to hearken unto His voice: and the Lord hath avouched
thee this day to be His peculiar people, as He hath promised thee, and
[223]
that thou shouldest keep all His commandments; and to make thee
high above all nations which He hath made, in praise, and in name,
and in honor; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord
thy God, as He hath spoken.”
Deuteronomy 26:17-19
.