ORDER IN THE ANCIENT CHURCH by John Norton Loughborough

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 9, 1901

ORDER IN THE ANCIENT CHURCH

By John Norton Loughborough

“Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Eph. 2: 20-22.

“God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” “Let all things be done decently and in order.” 1 Cor. 14: 33, 40.

From these scriptures it is evident that in order for the Lord’s Church to move in harmony, and to grow into that unity and love acceptable with Him, its members should be “fitly framed together.” What can produce such a condition except each one shall find his proper place in the Church; and with cheerfulness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, perform the duties connected with such position?

As God is the author of peace “in all churches of the saints,” He must have arranged for avoiding “confusion” in “the Church in the wilderness.” Acts 7: 38. The invisible leader of that company was Christ. Of the Israelites it is said: “The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them by the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.” Ex. 13: 21. Moses and Aaron were the visible leaders of that great company. So the psalmist says, “Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” Ps. 77: 20. In the writings of Isaiah we read, “Where is He that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of His flock? Where is He that put His Holy Spirit within him? that led them by the right hand of Moses with His glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?” Isa. 63: 11, 12.

To move that vast host of six hundred thousand men, besides women and children (at least three millions in all), with their tents, cattle, and other belongings, must have required good generalship, and the most perfect order. This they must have had; for the Lord was leading them, through Moses, and “God is not the author of confusion.” Of their movements we read that “the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.” Ex. 13: 18. For the word “harnessed” we have in the margin, “by five in a rank.” So we see that in their marching there was observed something like military order.

Of Moses’ generalship we read as follows: “I was pointed back to the children of Israel. Very soon after leaving Egypt they were organized and most thoroughly disciplined. God had in His special providence qualified Moses to stand at the head of the armies of Israel. He had been a mighty warrior to lead the armies of the Egyptians, and in generalship he could not be surpassed by any man.”—“Gospel Workers,” page 158.

The order established in the Church under Moses seemed to proceed on the same principle expressed by Paul to Titus in his direction respecting the New Testament churches. To him he said: “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting.” Titus 1: 5. How comprehensive, and yet specific, the instruction—“the things that are wanting.” This is equivalent to saying: As you look over the situation, you will see the needs of the work, and what is required for its successful management supply. So with Israel, what was wanting must be supplied. As they came out of Egypt, there must be order in their marchings, so they were “harnessed”—placed “five in a rank.”

When the sanctuary with its furniture was constructed, it must be set up, taken down, and moved

from place to place. There must be order in all this; it must not be left without definite regulations, as if it were “everybody’s business,” for soon it might be “nobody’s business.”

Concerning this we read: “The Lord did not leave His holy tabernacle to be borne indiscriminately by any tribe that might choose. He was so particular as to specify the order He would have observed in bearing the sacred ark, and to designate a special family of the tribe of the Levites to bear it. . . . In all their journeyings they were required to observe perfect order. Every tribe carried a standard bearing the sign which distinguished that tribe, and each tribe was required to pitch under its own standard. . . . The Levites were designated by the Lord as the tribe in the midst of whom the sacred ark was to be borne, Moses and Aaron marching just in front of the ark, and the sons of Aaron following near them, each bearing a trumpet. They were to receive directions from Moses, which they were to signify to the people by speaking through the trumpets. These trumpets gave special sounds, which the people understood, and they directed their movements accordingly. . . .”

“The Lord designated a special family of the tribe of Levi to bear the ark; and other of the Levites were specially appointed by God to bear the tabernacle and all its furniture, and to perform the work of setting up and taking down the tabernacle. . . . God did not leave His holy tabernacle to be borne, erected, and taken down, indiscriminately, by any tribe who might choose the office, but persons were chosen who could appreciate the sacredness of the work in which they were engaged. . . .”

“The travels of the children of Israel are faithfully described; the deliverance which the Lord wrought for them, their perfect organization and special order, their sin in murmuring against Moses and thus against God, their transgressions, their punishments, their carcasses strewn in the wilderness because of their unwillingness to submit to God’s wise arrangements,—this faithful picture is hung up before us as a warning lest we follow their example of disobedience, and fall like them.”—“Gospel Workers,” pages 158-160.

In considering the Lord’s leading of the Israelites there is seen a further development of His plan in establishing different points of order when necessity for it appears. The Lord had so evidently wrought through Moses that the people would naturally look to him to settle any controversy that might arise. This they did do until Jethro, his father-in-law, visited the camp, and seeing the heavy burdens borne by Moses, he gave the following wise counsel: “And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. And when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? And Moses said unto his father-in-law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: when they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and His laws. And Moses’ father-in-law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to Godward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: and thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: and let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.” Ex. 18: 15-24.

The Lord’s recognition of such a plan is thus recorded: “And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.” Num. 11: 16, 17.

In Deut. 1: 9-18 we have a record of Moses’ choice of the captains and judges over the thousands, the hundreds, the fifties, and the tens; and that, when he submitted the plan to the people, they answered “and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.” So the people accepted Jethro’s advice, and the Lord especially recognized the order thus established.

In “Gospel Workers,” page 160, we read of the Lord’s regard of the order in Israel: “He is as particular now as then. And He designs that we should learn lessons of order and organization from the perfect order instituted in the days of Moses, for the benefit of the children of Israel.”

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.