go up to Jerusalem," " h e re is some- thing less crucial, less repugnant to en- lightened reason, better adapted to the altered conditions of the 20th cen- t u r y . " _ 2. His Rebuke. The prophet came up on him in the act of sacrilege. He denounced his wickedness; he an- nounced his coming downfall; he with- ered his impious and outstretched arm; he shattered his altar; he scattered its unhallowed fires; and, then, mingling mercy with judgment, restored the arm, and gave him a respite. The man that could do things had gone too far. He had tQ learn that there was but One Arm that could do things, and ' ' that without Him' he could do' nothing." The moaern gospôl is a withered arm; there is no saving power in*its:cross; there is no meeting point in its, house of" nigh placés, its' lofty " m a t u re m'ind; " therè is no sheltering blood in us p'assover; only thé word of the I'rophet can restore the withered arm.
(the " f a g - e n d s ")
of the
people
priests." (5) He built " a house of ixigh places;" the temple at Jerusalem alone was the appointed house. All this we are told " h e devised out of his own heart." (rod repudiates all such " will worship,",Col. 2:23. By all this Jeroboam did not profess to forsake Jehovah, but to approach Him in other ways. This has a present day application. Men offer us a new Bible, a new Cross, a new Gospel, a new Christ. They say that they are Christians presenting truth from " n ew view points." They say: "These be thy gods that brought thee up out of Egypt." But we who have got out of. Egypt know better.' These doctrines are not what brought the world out of paganism, nor our Souls from death unto liíé. They,'too, make " p r i e s t s" " o f the fag-ends," of Ger- man-tutored candidates for pastorates and professorships, whom God never did and never can set apart for His service. Xhey say " I t is too much for you to
Pith and Pivot - T . C. H. NTwenty times it is stated in the Scriptures that Rehoboam made Israel to sin. The shadow of his sin ¡is cast pver two and a half centuries, and culminated in the final captivity. v Rehoboam was a practical politicial. He used what the world would call good judgment in conserving the interests of his kingdom. He was not an idolator at heart. He reasoned that it would help mat- ters and hurt no one if he kept his people at home, What difference does it make anyway, so long as the people worship God; when or where or how they worship? Why is not Eddyism, Spiritism, Theo$ophy or Russellism as good as .orthodoxism ? Why .not use symbols as the Romanists do? There is one good reason, and that is given by God. Rehoboam violated God's command, Ex. 20: 34. He added to God's Word,. Deut. 4 : 2; he failed tp do what God com- manded, Deut. 12: 32. He created a new center for worship. He designated a new feast in place of the atonement. He made a new order of priests, and assumed to himself the office of Mediator. God seeks worshippers, Jno. 4:23. He ! has established a center where He will meet His people. Man could not plan a meeting, place for God. God has one Mediator—"The Man, Christ Jesus." -1 Tim. 2: 5. "No man cometh unto the Father but by Me." John'14: 6. God's center is Jesus Christ ; the Temple which was destroyed and raised again the third, ]ohn 2:20. His glory is manifested alone in that temple, Heb. 1: 3, 2 Pet. 1:7, Rev. 21: 22. God has one Festival; It is the Lord's table, where the broken body and.shed blood are the emblems, 1 Cor. 11:23, 26. Anything and
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