The story of Israel takes up about two thirds of the Bible. All is told—its origin, its development, its mistakes, its hopes, its failure in living up to the standard for God's chosen people, and the transfer of its Messianic mission to the church. Going through the seven hundred pages of this story, both glorious and sad, one cannot help wondering: Why so many details? Why so many repeated exhortations? What is the reason for a document where heroism and weakness, loyalty and treason, are stated without respect of persons, as revealed in a mirror where the reader can at every step recognize his own self because of the similarity of his nature to the protagonists of this age-old history?
The reply is given in the Bible itself: "Now all these things happened unto them for en-samples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come" (1 Cor. 10:11). It is too bad that this wholesome story whose lessons would eliminate many errors, is today practically unknown by the majority of Christians, who often consider the Old Testament as a book of the Jews. Is there no danger that Seventh-day Adventists might also forget the lessons of the past? Are there not Adventists for whom another Adventist is only a Christian who observes the Sabbath instead of Sunday, who avoids unwholesome foods, but who does not have the least idea of the striking parallelism between Israel of Palestine and the "Israel of God," as the apostle Paul calls the church?
This study, with the accompanying chart, has been prepared in an effort to help emphasize some of these parallels. From the Exodus until our day the ups and downs of Israel have a meaning for the Christian who reads history with humility and the help of the Holy Spirit. Many parallels could be mentioned; this study, however, limits itself to the return of Israel from the captivity of Babylon. The struggles, the failures of a whole nation, as well as the courage of a few leaders (of Nehemiah especially) may be a source of inspiration for us and show us the way toward victory in the crisis that is soon to come upon us and in which we already live. "The opposition and discouragement that the builders in Nehemiah's day met from open enemies and pretended friends, is typical of the experience that those to-day will have who work for God."—Prophets and Kings, p. 644.
The chart reveals twelve points of resemblance. Very often events repeat themselves through the ages. This means that if we cherish the experiences of others in order to avoid evil and imitate that which is right, this will be of great advantage to us. Here is what we may learn from each item of this historical parallel:
1. Going out of captivity. Just as Israel went out of a seventy-year captivity in Babylon, the church was called of God to go out of the slavery of spiritual Babylon. Even though this message of going out of Babylon (Revelation 18) has been given very special significance in our day, it is true also that it had already begun to be heard at the time of the Reformation in the sixteenth century.
2. The leaders of the deliverance. As for Israel, there were, among others, Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, to name only a few. The Reformation also had its leaders whose names shine through history, such as Luther, Calvin, Zwingli.
3. The work interrupted. The enthusiasm of the first to come home cooled off quite rapidly in the face of obstacles. The Temple was rebuilt, though somewhat slowly, but once it was finished, reconstruction of the city stopped; the walls remained in ruins, and the people continued mixing with the customs of neighboring heathen. The report made by Nehemiah's cousin caused him great sadness and moved him to intercessory prayer and action. Thus is was with the church coming out of papal Babylon. The work of re-establishing truth came to a stop after the first victories. "The English Reformers, while renouncing the doctrines of Romanism, had retained many of its forms."—The Great Controversy, p. 289. John Robinson said to the Pilgrim Fathers about the spiritual state of his contemporaries: "'The Lutherans cannot be drawn to go beyond what Luther saw; ... and the Calvinists, you see, stick fast where they were left by that great man of God, who yet saw not all things.' p. 292. And Count Agenor de Gasparin adds about the Reformation: "Its great error has been to remain incomplete. It has indicated the way to go, more than walking in it; or rather, it has walked, but it has not arrived at a destination. Arrive at the Bible, sole and infallible authority, arrive at a destination (pardon the expression), advance sufficiently to join the apostolic Christianity, this is the work reserved for us. . . . Our Protestant traditions will end with dying; we shall finish up becoming Protestants, simply to become Christians."—Ecoles du doute et l'Ecole de la foi, pp. ix, x.
4. "Let us rise up and build" (Neh. 2:18). Israel's misery was not to be perpetuated indefinitely. There was an energetic man who wept, it is true, over the weakness and the shame of his people, but that is not all he did. He succeeded in obtaining the permission of the king to conclude the restoration of the city and the people. In front of the leaders, and after having contemplated with them the material and spiritual ruins of Israel, he encouraged them to action and they responded: "Let us rise up and build."
To modern Israel as well, the Lord entrusts a mission More than the restoration of material ruins, God is counting on His people to repair the breaches made in the moral heritage of humanity: "And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in" (Isa. 58:12).
5. Israel scorned. "A fox shall break down their stone wall." All means are thought of to stop the work. One thinks that scorn is sufficient; then threatenings, conspiracy, and calumny are added. Today the enemies of God's work think to minimize its worth by emphasizing the modesty of certain aspects of its action. "It is only a sect. Leave it alone; it will fall of itself." But as in the time of Nehemiah, instead of falling, the stone wall is being built up and strengthened.
6. The work must be done in the midst of difficulties. From the rising of the sun to the appearing of the stars, the builders of Jerusalem worked with one hand and held a weapon in the other. At night they returned to Jerusalem to help stand guard, so much so that Nehemiah and his bodyguard did not even take off their clothes. Today we are told that the church must finish the work in the midst of many difficulties. "Rashness of deed and confusion of mind are everywhere increasing."—Evangelism, p. 30.
"The work which the church has failed to do in a time of peace and prosperity, she will have to do in a terrible crisis, under most discouraging, forbidding circumstances."—Ibid., p. 31.
7. "The work is great . . . , and we are . . . one far from another" (Neh. 4:19). The wall was long, the workers comparatively few, but Nehemiah said that God would fight in their favor. How many times missionaries in faraway lands and evangelists in the large cities may be tempted to discouragement by seeing that
the vineyard is great and the workers few. All that remains is prayer and the memory of parallel circumstances when, in spite of all, victory prevailed for God's children.
8. Israel back to the Bible. Ezra, Nehemiah, and other leaders did not forget that Israel's only strength was the Word of God. Any reform without God would have been failure. Before restoring national unity, the heart had to be restored. To this end, all the people were called together for the yearly feast of Atonement (Neh. 8:1-3). All who were able to hear listened to the reading of the Word from morning until midday. Similarly, in modern Israel the Bible has been honored again, and the church unites all men and women, old and young, to listen and study and understand the Word of God.
9. God's law re-enthroned. Often the word "law" refers to the Pentateuch, and sometimes in a more precise sense to the Decalogue. The whole book of Nehemiah shows that the Decalogue had been taken out of oblivion. So, Israel of the last days has been given the mission to stress the perpetuity of the law of God in the midst of a generation who openly, or tacitly, tread underfoot the revealed will of God in the Decalogue. This law emphasizes the sovereignty of the Creator and His right to request adoration and obedience. It is the everlasting gospel, that unchanging message which the church must proclaim to the world.
10. The Sabbath restored. By particular stipulations, followed by strict application, the Sabbath was restored in rebuilt Jerusalem. Heathen merchants were no longer permitted to come into the city with their merchandise. It took all the patience and determination of Nehemiah to close the gates of the city on Friday night and thus make a general rest possible.
With the same faithfulness, men and women today fight to obey God in the midst of a civilization which flatters itself in ignoring God and His law. Like faithful Jerusalem in the midst of heathen nations, so is the Adventist Church in the midst of an ungodly world.
11. Tithe restored. One could not expect God's help and succor without rendering to Him what was due. For this reason Nehemiah and the other leaders restored the practice of paying tithe and bringing freewill offerings. The Adventist people who have restored this divine prescription are to many other churches a subject of astonishment. The means contributed by this comparatively small denomination has permitted her to hoist the flag of liberty in all countries of the world. A church faithful in paying tithes and offerings is a living church. Wherever faithful men and women render to God that which is due Him, there is prosperity.
12. Separation from infidels. Past laxity has permitted the introduction of infidels into the midst of the chosen people. Hard as it is in its application, the command was given to separate from infidels. Thus the admonition is given to the church not to unite with the world, to avoid the least deviation from this principle. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people" (1 Peter 2:9). The uniting of a Christian with an infidel hinders God from blessing His child. This does not mean that we are to "separate" from infidels by abandoning them to their own selves. On the contrary, they must be encouraged to follow the right way; but we should not follow them in theirs.
May this parallel of the two Israels encourage the Israelites of these last days to benefit from the lessons of the past.
