A Reckless Zeal | AdventAI

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 10, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 22.

A Reckless Zeal.

ZEAL, divinely regulated, is a very important element in religious affairs, and cannot be safely dispensed with; but some zeal that was shown in the days of King David, though strong enough, was not the right kind—it was a blind zeal. Ahimaaz said to Joab, the general of the army, "Let me now run, and bear the king tidings." But Joab objected, saying, "Thou hast no tidings ready," and Joab sent Cushi with the true tidings. But Ahimaaz kept teasing Joab to let him run too; and so he did, and he was so full of zeal that he "overran Cushi," and got there first; and when asked for his message, he had none to deliver, but had to content himself with saying, "I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was." Then the king made him abide as a bogus message bearer. Soon Cushi, with less zeal but more knowledge, comes up, crying aloud, "Tidings, my lord the king," and forthwith delivers his message like a man knowing what he was about.

This is a fair sample of much of the zeal of the present day. Men have a zeal that prompts them to run like Ahimaaz, but they have no message ready, but run they must without authentic tidings, and when they come before the people they can only talk about having seen a "great tumult," or a great excitement; they have been running on the strength of that, but they can talk of nothing else, for they lack the tidings. They have the zeal without the knowledge.

They have a soap-suds religion—all froth—and think that a "great tumult" is the grandest thing out. But when the tidings of truth are called for, they have to stand aside—the message is not with them. They can run, but are empty when they get where the message is needed. We do not advocate less zeal, but more truth. It is important to carry something when we do run—something better than a rehearsal of a "great tumult."—Sel.