VOX POPULI VOX DEI by W. N. Glenn

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, Cal. · May 31, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 22.

"VOX POPULI VOX DEI."

By W. N. Glenn

THIS is one of the popular slogans especially prominent in the United States. It means, "The voice of the people is the voice of God." It would be true if the people could by faith utter what the voice of God has spoken; but nothing is the voice of God merely because of the people's having spoken it. God's voice utters His own thoughts, and His thoughts are as high above the people's thoughts as the heavens are higher than the earth (Isa. 55:9).

The Bible gives a number of instances where it is manifest that the voice of God's own chosen people was not His voice. When the Israelites were pursued by Pharaoh's army, and were hemmed in between the mountain and the sea, they complained to Moses, saying, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness." Ex. 14:11, 12. Was this the voice of God? Note His reply: "And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto Me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward." Verse 15.

The voice of God spoke the ten commandments on Mount Sinai, and called Moses up into the mountain to give him special instructions. Among these was emphasized the second commandment, in the injunction, "Ye shall not make with Me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold." But while Moses was yet in the mount with God, the people became impatient of His delay, and they said to Aaron, "Up, make us gods, which shall go before us." Then Aaron made them a golden calf, a regular Egyptian idol, and they (the people) said, "These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." This was "vox populi"; was it "vox Dei"?

When the Israelites had come to the borders of Canaan, twelve men were sent over to spy out the land. On their return to the camp ten of them reported that it would be impossible for them to take possession; but Caleb and Joshua said that they were able to take it. The people indorsed the report of the majority and said, "Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt." They also took up stones to stone Caleb and Joshua. This was vox populi, but not vox Dei. God's voice said: "I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against Me. . . . Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against Me, doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun." (See Numbers 14.)

When the people heard what was to be the consequence of their rebellion, they changed their minds and determined to attempt the conquest of Canaan. But Moses warned them that they could not succeed against the decree of the Lord, and assured them that they would be smitten before their enemies. "But they presumed to go up unto the hill top; . . . then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them."

Further along in the history of this typical people, we learn that they conceived the idea of having a king. They became dissatisfied with their government by judges, and said to Samuel, "Make us a king to judge us like all the nations." The Lord told Samuel to "protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king" that should reign over them. He said, "They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me." But "the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel [which was "vox Dei"]; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us." So the Lord let them have their way (see 1 Samuel 8), but He did it in His anger (Hosea 13:11).

However, the most striking illustration of the voice of the people being against the voice of God, was the scene before Pilate's judgment seat. The governor brought before the multitude Jesus and Barabbas—the latter having been convicted of sedition and murder—and asked which of the two they would have released, according to the custom at this annual feast. "And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this Man, and release unto us Barabbas. . . . Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying, Crucify Him, crucify Him. And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath He done? I have found no cause of death in Him; I will therefore chastise Him, and let Him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that He might be crucified. And the voices of them ["vox populi"] and of the chief priests prevailed."

It would hardly do to close this list of citations without adding one in the time after Christ. After the killing of James, and the miraculous deliverance of Peter from prison, Herod the king went down to Cæsarea to live. At a popular gathering "upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man." But how did God regard this sentiment of "vox populi"?

The record answers: "And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory; and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost." Acts 12:21-23.

These, and many other scriptures and historical records, show conclusively that as to the popular cry, "Vox populi vox Dei," the exceptions are far more conspicuous than the rule. The voice of the people can be the voice of God only when they utter that which they have first learned from His Word.