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T H E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
July, 1933
F R O M T H E B O O K O F L I F E A N D E V E R Y D A Y L I FE B y R oy T almage B rumbaugh
and lose his own soul?” “A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” The lust of the eye, the lust o f the flesh, and the pride of life constitute the world. And that isn’t much. Yet man is a poor bargain maker. If this were not so, there would be few souls in hell. The soul has no mar ket value, so, “ what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Remember that Christ said this. DEGREES—These are the days when degrees are conferred. The college student who successfully completes the arts course receives an A.B. Those who successfully complete the science course receive the B.S. degree. Some receive honorary de grees, such as D.D., Litt.D., LL.D. May all of us merit the highest degree o f all, W.D., that is, the Lord’s “ well done” (Matt. 25:21).
the retributive tempest sent after Jonah. When Lot went down into the cities of the plain, he did not go alone; Mrs. Lot and his daughters went with him. Here they lost their souls—because father and hus band forgot God. When David sinned, he did not sin alone; his sons and daugh ters were carried with him into the slough o f vile iniquity. David returned, but his children did not. They were a constant grief to their aged father. The question arises, “Why did Jonah flee from the presence of the Lord?” Some think it was because he was a coward. Not at all I The prophets were heroes. They stood habitually in the presence of God, and therefore they feared not man. The Book itself tells us why Jonah fled. He fled from God because he was more of a patriot than he was a prophet. Jonah knew that Israel deserved punish ment. The time was ripe for judgment. The ten tribes were far from God. They persisted in disobedience and unbelief. Jonah also knew that Assyria was the na tion most likely to be used by God as the instrument of judgment. Was he not fa miliar with the mercy of God? If he preached to Nineveh, Nineveh might re pent. If Nineveh repented, God would, for give, and then the Assyrians would come down on the Israelites like a wolf upon a fold. So it happened. Jonah loved Israel. He was willing to die in order that he might save Israel. The Swede loves Sweden; the Britisher loves Great Britain; the American loves the U. S. A., but “God so loved the world.” What love! Every Christian is a true patriot, but more than that, he has in mind the needs of the entire world. So, with the patriot Paul, who was a Christian apostle before he was a Jew, the Christian declares, “ I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel . . . For I am not ashamed of the gospel o f Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
JONAH—Disobedience d e m a n d s its pound of flesh. The first penalty of dis obedience is distance from God. Jonah fled
to T a rsh ish . Tar- shish was two thou sand m i l e s west. This su g g ests dis tance f r o m G o d . Cain went out from
the presence o f the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod. “ Nod” means “exile,” “mis ery.” Going out from the peculiar presence o f God, he dwelt in a place where he was miserable. How terrible is eternal separa tion from Godl Any one who disobeys God lives in the “ far country.” “Return unto thy rest, O my soul.” Another penalty o f disobedience is spir itual declension. It is written twice that Jonah “went down.” There is a moral force in these words. In Romans 1, Paul writes that God gave up the Gentiles who refused to give glory to Him and thank Him for His goodness. Every time He gave them up and removed His restrain ing influences, they sank deeper into phys ical, moral, and mental degeneration. It is easy to backslide. Just rest on your oars, and you’ll drift. Men drift imperceptibly, but they drift surely, if they do not habit ually obey God. In what direction are you moving spiritually ? _ . Circumstances sometimes hasten flight from God. Blame the sinning prophet, not the circumstances. Jonah found a ship go ing to Tarshish. The devil usually sees to it that a ship is at the place o f departure ready to carry the runaway farther from God. However, the ready way is not al ways the right way. “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." The worst plans may prosper— for a while. The devil furnishes the transportation, but he always makes the man pay his fare: “ Jonah paid the fare thereof.” What a price he paidl His flight from God_ cost him peace of mind, peace o f conscience, loss of character, loss of God’s favor, loss o f the prophetic office, bitter experiences, and loss of money. The priest was sup ported by the tithe, but God made no nat ural provision for the prophet. Jonah, as well as the other prophets, must have been supported in a supernatural way. Had Jonah gone to Nineveh, he would have rid den on a pass provided by G od; but going to Tarshish, he paid his fare with God’s money. Think of it! Using God’s money to run away from God I God has given each one of us time, talents, possessions. Are we using all these things for God, or are we using divine gifts to get away from God? Those who disobey will influence others, and so bring judgment upon them. Jonah “ went with them, from the presence of the Lord.” The sailors were shipwrecked by
WHICH CLASS?—Last summer, I went with more than five hundred Chris tians on the “Revelation Cruise.” We sailed
on the Transylvania. There were s e v e n decks for passengers, A, B, C, D, E, F, and 6 . There were ordinarily first, sec
ond, and third class passengers. However, regardless of the price paid, all arrived at every way port, and finally at New York City, at the same time. So it is with Christians on the voyage of life. All believers sail on the ship of salva tion for the goal set before us. Some travel first class, some second, some third. Some have much o f this world’s goods, some have less, and some have little, but all sons of God will reach the port of glo rification at one and the same time. It may be that some traveling first class in life will receive inferior glory at that day. It may be that some traveling third class in life shall receive superior glory in that day. “The first shall be last, and the last first.” But every one shall be rewarded according to his works. MOVING— I was in a ship in port. We were docked, but the time o f departure was at hand. I looked out a porthole and thought that we were moving. I discov ered, however, that we were still docked. What I saw was the water passing by, and that led me to believe that we were moving. Are there not many Christians who think they are making spiritual progress when, as a matter o f fact, they are merely watch ing the world go by ? Are we moving ? Are we increasing in Christlikeness ? The Bible is the only infallible rule o f faith and practice. Let us judge our spirituality by the Word, not by human standards.
CRUCIFY SELF—“Whosoever w i l l save his life [from crucifixion] shall lose it.” Therefore, crucify self. In other
words, our Lord de clares, “Whosoever shall crucify him self and lose the old life for My s a k e a n d t h e gospel’s
shall save it.” We live by dying—no cross, no crown; no suffering here, no glory there. Self-sacrifice is gain. “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world
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