p. 179 | Presumptuous Service by Elizabeth P. Allan

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 19, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 12.

Presumptuous Service.

By Elizabeth P. Allan

It seems as if we hardly realized that the God of the Old Testament is now, in the day of the gospel dispensation, just what he was of old.

Is the God who commanded the son of the Egyptian to be stoned for gathering sticks on the Sabbath, the God of our Sabbaths, on which some of us take our ease, think our own thoughts, lay plans for worldly advancement, read political newspapers, and walk in our own ways? We surely do not believe that he is as particular now about having his laws obeyed, or we would tremble at the thought of his indignation.

When Nadab and Abihu showed their disrespect of God's command in but one particular, fire came out from the altar and devoured them. Yet Aaron was not even allowed to show any grief for their loss. "I will be sanctified," said the Lord, "in them that come nigh me."

And Uzzah, though he seemed to have a good reason for disobeying the laws concerning God's ark, when he laid his hand upon it because of the jolting of the oxen, instantly lost his life by reason of his "rashness" (marginal reading).

And is this the same God that we worship with such careless and irreverent service?

Oh, if we truly believed him the same, would we come into his presence while our hearts were filled with worldly plans and vain thoughts? Would ambition have place at one ear, and avarice at the other, while we lose the meaning of God's spoken message? Would we go to his house of prayer so showily arrayed as to cause envy and wonder in one set of neighbors, and dissatisfaction and humiliation in another. Would we enter with indifference, stay to yawn, and go home to criticize with idle jest and laughter?

True, no swift judgment now follows such rash Uzzahs, but God is still "jealous for his holy name," and will by no means overlook the guilty.

If we are Christians, we may hope to have this sin forgiven, but none the less will we find ourselves estranged from God, taking no delight in his service; and our spiritual life, while we thus dishonor Jehovah, will be a poor, deformed, misshapen thing.

Oh! let us daily implore the presence of the Spirit, and especially when we go up to the house of worship, the place where his honor dwelleth, that, remembering who is in his holy temple, all our vain, noisy earthliness may keep silence before him.—Elizabeth P. Allan, in S. S. Times.