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 From
ELA.M’s NOTES, May 6, 1923, we quote portions of his comments
on 1 Sam. 8: —Asking For A King.
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“To
turn away from God’s church and church government now is to
turn away from him; to reject these is to reject him.
But
what if elders of the church will not do the work? Let it be
remembered that Samuel’s wicked sons failed to do their work;
still it was a rejection of God to reject his system of
government, even when perverted by mean men. Why not “turn the
rascals out” and select honest and righteous judges?
The
wickedness of Samuel’s sons furnished a pretext for asking for
a king, and a failure on the part of elders and the church now
to do the work God requires furnishes a pretext to those not
satisfied with the New Testament order of things for asking for
a change of God’s way.
This
is a trick of Satan. He took advantage of the corruption and
wicked practices of Samuel’s sons to suggest a change in God’s
government. He doubtless pointed out to the elders of Israel the
centralization and solidity of other nations under kings and how
they had succeeded; that the Israelites, in their spasmodic and
irregular way of opposing their enemies, could not succeed; and
that “the Lord’s plan would not work.” He practices the
same trick today.
When
elders fail in qualifications and duties and the church drags
along, Satan
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steps in and suggests “change.” He never
suggests that the church should have
intelligent, active, scriptural elders, doing a scriptural work.
His special effort is to persuade the church that “God’s way
will not work;” that all the denominations practice the
one-man-pastor or one- man-”minister” system, and the church
must be like them — and do as they do or fail. Hence
frequently a “novice” (1 Tim. 3:6) — a beardless youth —
is “installed” as “the pastor” or “the minister” of
the church, and the elders are practically “laid on the shelf.”
When
the church fails to “endeavor” to do the will of God in
developing the young members, Satan, becoming at once very much
interested in their spiritual welfare, never suggests that the
church should be stirred up to the discharge of its duty, but
proposes to “organize” an “endeavor society” which will
do this particular work; when the church fails to “associate”
as it should, Satan, becoming interested in Christian
association, proposes the organization of an “association”
which will do this work; when the church fails to do missionary
work, old Satan, suddenly turning missionary and, shedding great
crocodile tears over the poor heathen who are dying without the
gospel, never suggests that the church should be taught and
trained, as such, to do this work, but proposes to furnish an
organization which will do it.”
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FAILURE
OF THE PAST GENERATION TO PROFIT BY SUCH LESSONS, DOES NOT
EXCUSE US. SATAN’S WORK CONTINUES.
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