Jottings

by J. Miller | Category: General | Aug 1952

The value of the restraint of a godly man and of a strong guiding hand cannot be overestimated. This is illustrated by several incidents in Scripture. In the matter of the Golden Calf we see that when Moses was in the mount with God the absence of his strong guiding hand was soon felt. It is said,

"When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him" (Exodus 32.1).

Then was brought into being that shame of Israel, when "they changed their glory for the likeness of an ox that eateth grass." They said with blatant lying, "These be thy gods, 0 Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." Need we wonder at Satan's lies to-day in the face of this specimen of the products of the father of lies ?

The answer of the LORD and of Moses to this was

"And when Moses saw that the people were broken loose; for Aaron

had let them loose for a derision (whispering) among their enemies:

then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said,. Whoso is on the LORD'S side, let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him" (Exodus 32.25, 26).

Let it be noted, that even prior to the tabernacle being built and erected, the house of God for that day, in the midst of Israel, there was what is called "the gate of the Camp," showing that there was a definite "within" and "without" in connexion with the divine position of God's people.

Aaron may have been an excellent man for the priesthood, to be an intercessor for God's people, but he was a distinct failure as a leader to be in charge as ruler and guide of a people. He was altogether too yielding, too anxious to please everybody. That a leader can never do!

Absalom said, "Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!" (2 Samuel 15. 4). He sought to please everybody; this is the kind of person that in the end pleases nobody.

Israel needed the stronger hand of Moses to guide them, who could say "No," when "no" was the right thing to say, whether it pleased or displeased. The absence of Moses in the mount and what happened illustrate what an outstanding leader of the past in the present Fellowship said, "We need a strong guide to guide the guides."

Amongst the closing words in the book of Joshua are these

"Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of the LORD, that He had wrought for Israel" (Joshua 24.31).

There is an ominous note struck in this statement as to what happened when Joshua and those elders passed from the scene of their labours. Soon Israel learned the ways of the nations of Canaan and went astray after their gods. The book of Judges is replete with examples of men who saved Israel out of the hand of their enemies and judged Israel, and who during their lifetime kept them from extreme wickedness, but, when the effect of their restraint was gone, back again Israel went to their sinful ways. The oscillation went on a] 1 the times of the Judges and at the close of the book it is said, " In those days there was no king in Israel every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21.25). They were a people without restraint.

The book of Ruth illustrates the condition of things then, in the departing of Elimelech and Naomi from the land and settling in the country of Moab. They found out, alas, that to leave the place of God's choice and to leave His people could only end disastrously, as many since have found, that to go into isolation, far from an assembly, is the sure road to spiritual disaster, however fair material prospects may be. Hut Naomi came back and Ruth with her. Such restoration is the glorious ending to a dark and perilous day.

There have been few leaders of the calibre of David. It is said of him when chosen by God and brought from feeding his father's flock to feed His people, "So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart;

And guided them by the skilfulness of his hands" (Psalm 78.72).

Some have clever hands, but little heart; and others are good, wholehearted men, but they lack skill in God's things and among His people. David had both! Integrity means wholeness, soundness, uprightness, honesty. It is the state of a perfect, wholehearted man. Such indeed was David. In Psalm 25.21, he says, "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me." Again he says, "Judge me, 0 LORD, for I have walked in mine integrity" (Psalm 26.1).

In- his days David guided and fed them with a perfect heart and raised them to a greatness that never was equalled, for it is beyond question that the greatness of Israel in Solomon's time was the result of David's wise and beneficent rule. Such is the value of a true and godly leader.

The case of Joash king of Judah shows the value of godly guidance and restraint. When Athaliah the daughter of Jezebel and Ahab destroyed the seed royal of Judah, Jehoshabeath, the wife of Jehoiada the priest and sister of Ahaziah the father of Joash, took Joash and hid him from the murderous hands of his grandmother, Athaliah. Joash was hidden in the house of God for six years, and when he was seven years of age he was proclaimed king. He reigned for forty years, and it is said of him,

"Joash did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest" (2 Chronicles 24.2).

When Jehoiada had passed away at the great age of one hundred and thirty years, the princes of Judah came to the king and he hearkened to them, and they forsook the house of the Loan and turned to idolatry. Zechariah the son of Jehoiada sought by the Spirit of God to correct them in their evil designs to establish idolatry in Judah, but they stoned him to death in the court of the house of the Loan at the commandment of Joash.

"Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son " (2 Chronicles 24.22).

In the very house where Jehoiada and his wife Jehoshabeath had cared for Joash in his childhood, Joash slew their son Zechariah. Could ingratitude find a greater exponent than Joash? Hut sin, the flesh and Satan knew no pity!

Quick upon the heel of the foul deed of Joash came the Syrians, who destroyed all the princes of Judah, the men primarily responsible for the slide that had taken place into idolatry; they took away their spoil to Damascus, and they executed judgement on Joash and left him in great diseases. His end came, in that his servants assassinated him. So came to an end the man who did what was right in the eyes of the Loan during the days of Jehoiada and under his godly guidance.

We pass over many years and come to Acts 20. Having called the elders of the church of God in Ephesus to him at Miletus, Paul reviews his work in that city where a mighty work for the Lord had been wrought. As he is about to wish them farewell, he says,

"I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, Not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Wherefore watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years I ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears" (Acts 20.29-81).

The strong but kindly hand of a strong man would no more be available to guide and control, and men of another sort, ever after place-seeking, would rise, who would not stop even at teaching serious error to promote their own cause, not to speak of men of the character of grievous wolves who would seek a place among the elders in order to feed upon the flock. Such Paul saw coming with prophetic vision. To be forewarned is to be forearmed is a saying for wise men, but, alas, not for all! May men in our time who would be guides of others take knowledge of the conduct of godly leaders of long ago!

J. Miller | Aug 1952
General