GIVE GLORY TO HIM

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 17, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 51.

“GIVE GLORY TO HIM.”

A PART of the message with which the great God would comfort His people, a part of His Gospel message as given by the “evangelical prophet,” is as follows:—

“All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the Word of our God shall stand forever.” Isa. 40:6-8.

Surely this is not in harmony with the extravagant expressions of human laudation of the human which one now hears on every hand, among Christians and in religious circles as well as in political. Christians and religious bodies boast of their numbers, their wealth, their great institutions of education, of healing, of publishing; they laud their leaders and worship their wise men. Whatever the intent, the practice is not of God. God uses men. He takes wonderfully insignificant things and with them does mighty work, but the glory must be His.

Man, in himself, has nothing of which to boast. If he proves wise to-day, to-morrow his folly is evident to all. If he seems to possess great knowledge, the uncultured boor may prove him ignorant of simple facts. Is he rich?—In an hour his riches may be in ashes. Is he strong and well, and does he seem immortal to-day?—To-morrow muffled feet and mute lips and downcast eyes and sable garb may wind in slow and sad defile past his pale and lifeless corse. “Thus saith Jehovah, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he hath understanding, and knoweth Me, that I am Jehovah who exerciseth loving-kindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith Jehovah.” Jer. 9:23, 24.

This, like the quotation from Isaiah, is a general statement, applicable to all people in all ages. The Morgan of to-day is no more than the Croesus of yesterday. The Spencer or the Leo X. of the now are no more than the Lokman or the Solomon of the past. A Kitchener may read his end by the grave of an Alexander or a Napoleon. “All flesh is grass,” and all the goodliness of man is as its flower,

more frail and ephemeral. Why, then, should men glory in men, bow to men, worship men? “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man in whom there is no help.” Ps. 146:3. “Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh.” Jer. 17:5, 6.

The curse is no arbitrary act of God, no direct punishment sent by Him; it is all in the putting of one's trust on that which can give no help. And the great God tells us all these things that we may not be deceived. In His mercy, in His goodness, He tells us that we are naught apart from Him. That is the negative side of His glad message; and unless we can receive it, we shall never know its blessed positive—“the Word of the Lord endureth forever.” He who learns man's nothingness and places himself in God's power, will learn that His word can make the weakest, frailest, most insignificant thing glorious with the holiness, the beauty, of God. Looking upon Him, they will not glory in men. The language of the heart will be: “Far be it from me to glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Gal. 6:14. God's everlasting Gospel is, “Fear God and give glory to Him.” Rev. 14:7.