IMPORTANCE OF GOD'S WORD
By J. O. C.
Magnified above His Name — Is God Particular about His Word?
THE voice of inspiration tells that God has magnified His word above all His name. Ps. 138: 2. To magnify a thing is to enlarge it. As used in this connection, the expression means to lift above. That is to say, the words God has spoken for man's benefit He has elevated in greatness above His fulness of name. True, one can hardly comprehend such a comparison, because he knows so little about the completeness of the name of the great I AM. A few expressions, however, relating to this greatest of subjects, may not be out of place. First of all, God's name is said to be both "holy" and "reverend." Ps. 111: 9. These are strong words, representing the elevation of that name to be above every other name, thus placing it where every creature should render it supreme honor. A name of this character could be nothing less than of eternal endurance. Recognizing this, the psalmist proclaimed aloud that it endures forever, and the memorial of its distinction to all generations. Ps. 135: 13. To be covered with the mantle of such a name, one must not only be eminent in a righteous sense, but he also must have the abiding life of the lofty title taken to himself. This condition is admirably expressed in the illustrative picture of inspiration which says that the name of the Lord is a "strong tower" into which the righteous run, and are there rendered safe from any and every devastating foe. Prov. 18: 10. But with all these unequivocal statements, the human mind fails to grasp the greatness of the subject, because it is beyond the sweep of ordinary thought. However, one can reach enough of it to realize something of the sacredness of that name which stands for everything substantial in the universe. This being so, let application be made accordingly of that statement that God has magnified His word — that is, made it great — above all His name. Then, however great and holy one may estimate the name of God to be, let him be assured that the word of God stands even higher, because it is the expression of His mind, which is the beginning of all things. To refuse obedience to such a word is no less than to spurn the direction of God's mind, by which the inanimate universe is sustained and regulated in all its functions. It must therefore be wretched mockery of Jehovah to affirm that although He may have spoken regarding man's duty, it makes no difference whether one obeys or not the exact direction of His word, since He is not particular. How do such people know that God is not particular? Do they not know that He is to bring "every work into Judgment, with every secret thing"? Then why do these very ones, many of them, become so particular to have their personal decisions of duty regarded, that they seek civil enactments by which to demand obedience to the very letter of their conclusions, notwithstanding these are well known to contravene the plain requirements of God's word? Take, for instance, the weekly rest-day problem. The word of God emphatically declares that the seventh day is the Sabbath, and requires world toilers everywhere to rest on that day. Ex.60320: 8-11. Moreover, there is not the least evidence that Scripture has made void that requirement. Everybody well understands that the day called Saturday is the veritable seventh day of the week originally enjoined as God's appointed day of rest. Yet in the face of this, men have substituted the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, as a weekly religious rest. Not satisfied with honoring by themselves this rival rest day, many are striving by civil enactment to enforce its regular observance upon every one, whether Jew, agnostic, or out-and-out infidel. This is but to place their own decision of duty above the requirements of God's word, and really to antagonize Jehovah Himself. Yet astonishing as it may seem, the promoters of this program profess to be followers of Him who never changes, who is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever (Heb. 13: 8), and even talk much about honoring Him. To all such the following scripture is recommended for candid inspection: "Why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Luke 6: 46. J. O. C.