Shall We Put Off the Curse of War?
By Daniel T. Bourdeau
WE as a people believe that by earnest and scriptural prayer to the God of heaven the general winds of war and strife may be kept from blowing on the earth, or on the sea, or on the trees till the servants of God are sealed, or made sure as his property, so that they will be prepared for any emergency. Rev. 7: 1-3. In this scripture the havoc and calamities of war and strife on land and on sea are referred to. When these become general, woe to the beautiful trees, the trees of service, where war rages! These will be felled and brought into requisition to make bulwarks and other means of defense against invading armies. I well remember passing through the streets of Paris not long after the Franco-Prussian war. Beautiful trees had been felled by the French, while others bore the sure signs that they had been marred or ruined by fire; all of which was the deplorable result of fearful contests between mighty armies. Now, as surely as there will be limits to God's forbearance, beyond which general war can be postponed no longer, just so surely, before those limits are reached, God can suffer war to come which he could and would repress were his people faithful in praying scripturally that war may be postponed for God's people to be sealed; for all can readily see that it is far easier to carry on the work of God on the earth in time of peace than in time of war, when so many exciting things come up to turn away the thoughts of men, women, youth, and children from the things of God. But will simply praying, without laboring to answer our prayers, without laboring for the salvation of others, keep back war, preparations for which are now going on on a scale eclipsing everything of the kind that has ever been seen in our world?—Nay, verily; there must be associated with our prayers earnest efforts that will agree with the object for which we pray. We must labor for the salvation of our fellow beings as we have never labored for it before. Then shall God in mercy repress the tide and curse of war, strife, bloodshed, and confusion. We must now earnestly, zealously engage in the converting work of Elijah (Mal. 4:5); otherwise God shall disturb us from our indifference and slumbers of carnal security, and from our sinful inactivity, by suffering the curse of war to smite the earth. Compare verse 6 with Zech. 5: 1-4, where a flying roll is declared to mean a “curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it [and there are plenty that steal nowadays, even from God]; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.” According to the words of Jesus and of James, there is a fearful amount of swearing done under the cloak of religion. Matt. 5: 33-37; James 5: 12. And the prophet continues: “I will bring it [the curse symbolized by the flying roll] forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name; and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.” Zech. 5: 3, 4. Here is destruction that comes through war, persecution, and calamities, and answers to the curse mentioned in Mal. 4: 5, 6. Of the curse mentioned in this passage, we are to understand that it will come prematurely if we do not engage in a work answering to that of Elijah, as we should in view of “the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” And the opposite is true; the curse will be deferred if we faithfully do the work here pointed out. Now this can not refer to the seven last plagues; for these will come the sooner for our hastening to do the work the Lord has assigned us. That curse can not be averted; it will surely come upon the wicked of this generation. How precious is this time of peace in which to do the work that God in mercy has laid upon us to perform! Shall we improve it in doing this work? or shall we worse than squander it in laying up treasures upon earth for strife and war to scatter to the winds in the near future? Shall we, through criminal indifference and hiding our talents in the earth, make it more difficult for the messengers of the cross to do their work. Shall we thus bring upon us war, persecution, and other calamities, which God could and would keep back a little longer if we were faithful and earnest in doing the work that he enjoins us to perform speedily? In ancient times God often brought war, persecution, and even financial losses upon his people to humble them, because, instead of being lights to those around them, they became bodies of darkness and a miserable example unto them by their departures from God. And why should he not use the same measures now to humble his favored people because of their unfaithfulness to the great light that shines on their pathway? Is there not indeed with many professing to believe that the great day of God's wrath is about to come upon the world at large as a thief, a danger of giving a lie to their profession, by planning and acting as if the terrible day of the Lord were a great way off? Is there not with some more than a tendency to be allured by earth's treasures and vain, transitory, and sinful pleasures, simply because they have lost sight of the eternal riches, and do not enjoy the lasting and substantial pleasures growing out of being in harmony with God? And are there not others among us who suffer petty trials to alienate them from their brethren and from their God, just because self is not dead? Will such have to learn in time of war what they should have learned in time of peace? One writer has thus well expressed the truth on this point: “There was war, bloodshed, want, privation, famine, and pestilence in the land; and as these things were without, God's people began to press together, and cast aside their little difficulties. Self-dignity no longer controlled them. Deep humility took its place. Suffering, perplexity, and privation caused reason to resume its throne, and the passionate and unreasonable man became sane, and acted with discretion and wisdom.” —“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VII. How much better and easier to learn this and other lessons in time of peace, than to have the dread realities of war and other calamities teach them to us! It is our privilege and duty to have so much of the grace and power resulting from obeying the truths for these times, that war and persecution shall be held in check by the Spirit and angels of God, while we shall hasten to do the work that God has assigned us. May this be our experience, that God may be glorified, and that the work in which we are engaged may be “cut short in righteousness.” Rom. 9: 28.