King's Business - 1919-02

T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S

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b etter and th e need for it. Aaron; the tra ito r, was false to God and to the g reat tru s t imposed upon him , and so is every man who takes upon him self th e office of m inistering holy things and who m ingles erro r and tru th . You cannot m ake a th ing holy by affixing th e nam e of Christ to it. Christian Science is no t Christian; it is heathen ­ ish. We do no t please God w ith sacri­ fices if the h e a rt "is wrong. Christ said to th e woman a t th e well “Ye worship ye know no t w hat.” The n a tu ra l h ea rt is never satisfied w ith sp iritu a l wor­ ship. F aith needs no sight. I t rests upon th e simple b u t tru e Word of God. Moses is revealed to us in th e ligh t of a m ediator. He stand s ou t as a splendid intercessor. F a ith and cour­ age are m ingled in his prayer,— plead­ ing the prom ise of God and pleading fo r a change of a ttitu d e tow ards His people; refusing to profit by th e sin of th e people,— he came boldly to the th ron e of grace and found mercy for th e people and help for him self in the tim e of need. He confessed th e sin of Israel and offered his own life. God h eard and God forgave. You can tak e things to God in the nam e of H is Son; you can plead His gracious prom ises; Christ gave His life th a t He m ight become our intercessor. God honored Moses and He w ill honor us. Nothing pleases God more th a n to have us come in holy boldness, pleading H is own promises, and nothing gives H im g rea ter pleasure th a n to g ra n t our requests. He is glorified in all we ask in Jesu s’ precious name. PRACTICAL POINTS (1 ) Aaron was no t th e man to meet the m utiny again st God. (2) The feast m et w ith favor by Israel, and it was fashioned afte r the heathen custom. (3 ) Every image made to represent God is a m isrepresentation of Him. (4) If you are on th e Lord’s side, let It be known on all sides.

can do will accomplish more th a n the finest praying th a t we do no t do. One of th e best books th a t th e w riter knows on intercessory prayer is th a t en titled “The M inistry of Intercession” by th e late Andrew Murray, of South Africa, who embodied in his own life th a t which he ta u g h t in his book. 'Æm The Children of Israel are well named for th ey are, indeed, only children. They acted like children. Quick to prom ise obedience to God’s law, equally quick to fo rget the HEART OF prom ise. “All the THE LESSON words which th e Lord T. C. H o rton h ath said, we will do!” They failed to know th e ir own inh eren t weakness and failed to understand th e meaning of the Ten Words. “ In su rrection” and “ in te r­ cession” are th e key words h ere and give us th e road to th e h e a rt of th e lesson. Moses was gone, b u t Aaron was th e re ; the seventy elders were th ere; the rulers over the hundreds and tens, were there,— b u t God was no t in all th e ir thoughts. Moses is not w ith them , and they will no t pla.y th e game any longer. Poor little children! The golden calf was no t intended as a rep re­ sentation of God, b u t it was. All false systems m ust have th e ir idols. There m ust be something for th e eye to look upon,—images, pictures, crucifixes,— anything as an aid ; th e devil does not care w hat it is— gold, wood, iron or stone, so long as it m isrepresents God and becomes a false god. The molten calf, th e a lta r and th e feast unto Jeho­ vah was a conglomeration of false and tru e. Offering sacrifices to God in the presence of th e calf! B u t'w h a t differ­ ence w hether it be a golden calf or an image of th e V irgin Mary? W hat do candles and images and perfunctory per­ formances mean to God? In th e presence of such a scene we und erstand th é F irs t Commandment

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