A MESSAGE OF PREPARATION
By L. A. Phippeny
"PREPARE to meet thy God, O Israel," is the startling word placed in the mouth of the herdsman-prophet of Tekoa by the high authority that ordained him a messenger of reproof and warning. The message was not given to a prepared people. It was given to a people who had despised the law of God and had not kept His commandments, in whose lives the spirit of perversity, injustice, inconstancy, was manifested continually. They were wholly unprepared to meet God, except for punishment for evil deeds. And yet they were the chosen church of God, and professed His name, and called themselves His children. Again and over again the Lord sought to reclaim them, using the means which it has seemed necessary to use in all ages when children go astray—punishment—and yet punishment in love, to save if possible. Famine, drought, blasting, mildew, the palmerworm, sword, fire—they were a rebellious and stubborn people—were their portion, yet they "returned not," tho some were plucked as firebrands from the burning. Then came the end. There was nothing left but direst measures to bring them to their senses. Hence the message. But before the infliction of the chastisement in its severest form, the Lord delineated His dealings with them, and recounted the history of their crooked ways. Thus was the conviction of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment forced home to them. Then, in harmony with His character of love and mercy mingled with justice, the Lord gave them opportunity, as individuals, to repent before the stroke fell upon the nation. This was all involved, indeed, in the words of the warning. Note the significance of the message, and the call to return. "Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel; and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, the Lord, the God of hosts, is His name . . . For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye Me, and ye shall live; . . . seek Him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, . . . that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is His name. . . . Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate; it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph." Amos 4 and 5. Mark again the revelation of the character of love and long-suffering in the recital of this chapter in the history of Israel. It would seem that the veriest skeptic must recognize and acknowledge the divine element in the proceedings. But it is not new, neither out of date. The relation of God to His church and to the world and the manner of His dealing with them have ever been the same in principle. This is perhaps only another way of stating the point that with the Father of lights there is no variableness neither shadow of turning. He is the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever. "I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." "And account that the long-suffering of the Lord is salvation." The history of the past is written for our admonition who live in after ages, because human nature repeats itself generation after generation. The conflict of the ages between righteousness and sin is about ended; what are the conditions of the professed church to-day? Is the condition spiritually similar to the condition spiritually in the church in the days of Amos and Isaiah, the days before the great captivity? If so, has God sent a message of warning like unto that of old? The Word of God is so plain that it seldom requires lengthy argument to demonstrate the truth even when men endeavor to establish counter claims. It is very plain with reference to the questions just asked. Note a few statements. "There is one body, and one Spirit, . . . one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all." This is the ideal, embracing one body, the one true church, with its ideal characteristics. This church existed in Paul’s time, and his words indicate that it has existed ever since, exists to-day, and will be in existence when Christ returns at the end of the age. Where is it? Which one is it of the many churches calling themselves Christian? It surely is not all of them—a kind of composite of many doctrines and creeds. It surely is not expressed in the lives or the beliefs of all the members of any one church organization that may be named in particular. "That they all may be one." Here is diversity in unity. Can it mean a union of churches upon some particulars of belief common to all?—Hardly. May it not mean the oneness of Spirit that frequently seems to characterize union services for revival efforts?—To the extent that the Spirit of Christ is present. But the true church embraces more, as already noted. And after all unions are effected, after revival efforts pass, there is still diversity of doctrine in the churches as separate organizations. But does not Christ work with and through the churches professing His name?—Just the best He can, assuredly. But can He work with all? Can all be equally right and still hold diverse beliefs? Can all be one in all the requirements of the "one body," and still all or part hold differing views as to these requirements and use differing methods to express them?—O no! Therefore division, confusion, not oneness of the one body, one Spirit, one baptism, one hope. Somehow, at some time, the clear view of the one faith, one baptism, one hope, has been obscured, and corrupted doctrine has taken their place. Are the professed churches of Christ prepared to meet Him when He comes? God’s Call—the Church’s Need
"Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Ah, here is a call to "My people," the true church, and the time of the call is the last days. It is a call to come out of confusion, as the context shows. It is a call to come out of sin; for in whatever system confusion is found there is sin, be it church organization or character organization. It is a call to you and to me; for "God is no respecter of persons," and His invitation is extended to every soul. We may be—can be, if we will—individual members of the one body. But is it possible that the condition of the professed churches—we must write the plural in view of present-day conditions—is like the sinful condition of God’s ancient church, when there was no remedy but casting away? Is not such a view pessimistic? Listen: "Unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans [the last church condition preceding the second coming of Christ] write: . . . I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked; I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." These are the words of the Head of the church. They are not commendatory. They do not depict a church prepared to meet her Lord. Is it the condition of the churches to-day? Is it not? Honestly, as a candid observer, can you do otherwise than frankly assent that it is? It is a terrible condition, doubly so because the professed followers of Christ do not realize their fearful condition and the proximity of calamity. They are asleep, and worse than asleep. Is not God as truly forgotten now as He was by Israel of old? But is there not some awakening message, some cry of alarm, some warning of impending judgment, of punishment?—There is, even as there was of old. Read it, comparing the first portion especially with the message given through the prophet Amos: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a LOUD VOICE, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come; and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations10drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a LOUD VOICE, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation." Rev. 14:6-10. Here is the warning, the most solemn ever given to the children of men, of the final day of judgment at hand; the declaration of punishment most fearful upon unrepentant transgressors; the call to all men to return to God their Maker, and the implied offer of a glad salvation. Indeed, the counsel of the Faithful Witness is in the highest degree optimistic, for it points to salvation for every individual who will accept it. The message says to the church, the churches to the world, "Prepare to meet thy God."