Truth Magazine

By Connie W. Adams

It was with the suddenness of a flash of lightning and the sternness of a sharp clap of thunder that the prophet Elijah described only as “the Tishbite of the inhabitants of Gilead” appeared before king Ahab of Israel and said: “As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (1 Kings 17:1). Then as suddenly as he had come, he was gone and Ahab was left to ponder these unexpected and frightful words. Thus the prophetic work of Elijah began, a beginning which was typical of all his public utterances as the special envoy of Jehovah to his apostate people. His public work was limited to a few scattered appearances, a sparseness of public notice which would fail to distinguish him by the standards of our time. Yet these few occasions punctuated by the compelling words he spoke were sufficient to make him one of the most often mentioned of the prophets by New Testament writers.

New Testament References

Many of the New Testament statements concerning Elijah (or Elias) refer to John the Baptist, the second Elijah. Since the closing article in this series will deal with the second Elijah, such references will be omitted here for the present. When Jesus explained his reason for not performing mighty deeds in Nazareth, he referred to Elijah and pointed out that, while there were many widows in the land at that time, Elijah came only to the one at Zarephath (Luke 4:24-26).

When the Samaritans refused to receive Christ, James and John desired to bring down fire from heaven and consume them “even as Elijah did.” Jesus sharply rebuked them for their reckless and arbitrary impulse (Luke 9:54-55). Paul referred to Elijah’s despondency when he said, “I am left alone, and they seek my life” and God’s answer that he had reserved to himself “seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal” (Rom. 11:2-5). From this he taught that even though Israel had in wholesale lots rejected Christ, yet “there is a remnant according to the election of grace.”

Perhaps the grandest tribute paid to Elijah was the reference by James as to the availing power of a righteous man’s prayer which he drew from Elijah (Jas. 5:17). These are sufficient to show the importance of this stern, but faithful, prophet of God. Aside from these honorable mentions of him in the New Testament, there was the immediate impact of his efforts upon the time and amid the circumstances in which he lived, without which Israel might have gone so far into idolatry and its attendant evils as to render it unable to longer serve the purpose for which God had set it apart. Such considerations suggest the importance of his work. Surely our knowledge may be enhanced  and our lives enriched by a study of this great man.

The Need for Elijah

To say that a crisis existed when Elijah came upon the scene is a great understate­ment. Over fifty years had passed since the once united kingdom under Solomon had divided with ten tribes going into rebellion and the rest remaining faithful to the line of David. Jereboam had ascended the throne of this scismatic kingdom and had at once plunged it into such sin that its citizens could hardly be recognized as having once served God and expedited his purposes. So wicked was Jereboam that the sacred writers thought it sufficient dishonor to certain kings thereafter to summarize their reigns by saying they “departed not from the sins of Jereboam the son of Nebat, where­with he made Israel to sin.” This kingdom of apostacy had received some of the fruit of its rebellion during those fifty years, for it was beset with war without and deceit, treachery and bloodshed within. Nadab succeeded Jereboam and was murdered  after two years by Baasha, who proceeded to destroy every relation of Jereboam (1 Kings 15:27-34). His reign of twenty-four years was marked by continual strife and he is said to have plunged Israel even deeper into the sins initiated by Jereboam. Elah, the son of Baasha, took his throne and in less than two years was slain by Zimri, while Elah proceeded to get drunk (1 Kings 16:9). Zimri died seven days later in the siege of Gibbethon (1 Kings 16:18) and, after four years of internal strife over who should next be king, Omri finally succeeded. His twelve-year reign is well summarized in the statement that he “did worse than all that were before him” (1 Kings 16:25). Ahab, his son, then came to the throne.

This entire period was well summarized by Milligan in his fine book on Elijah, His Life and Times. “Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, six kings between the date of the division of the tribes and the appearance of Elijah, with a seventh now upon the throne, and three of the six either murdered or brought to a cruel end through the usurpers by whom they were expelled — the record is little better than one of tumult and violence and blood; while at the same time foreign wars, with the Syrians in the North and the Philistines from the South, helped to fill up the cup of national misery.”

These political turmoils were closely related to an ever increasing spiritual poverty. The temple at Jerusalem had been a bond of unity between all the tribes before the kingdom divided. There they congregated three times each year and considered one day in God’s courts of untold value. As David said, they would “rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Ps. 84:10). Jeroboam saw that this devotion to Jerusalem had to be broken if his kingdom was to have any strength. To accomplish this “he made two calves of gold, and said unto the people, ‘It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt’” (1 Kings 12:28). He made Dan and Bethel the centers of this false worship and largely succeeded in alienating the affections of his subjects from Jehovah.

The evil begun in Jeroboam’s day reached a culminating point in Ahab’s, who being filled with a desire to increase the material fortunes of his kingdom and to cement better relations with the Phoenicians to his west, married Jezebel, the daughter of the Zidonian king (1 Kings 16:30-33). Jezebel was completely devoted to the worship of Baal, and being a woman of strong determination and inventive design, set about the unholy business of infiltrating the kingdom with devotion to Baal. She filled the kingdom with prophets of Baal and sustained four hundred at her table (1 Kings 18:19). Under such circumstances, how could Israel’s condition have been more deplorable? A factious kingdom, torn by fifty years of war within and without, severed from the former affection for Jerusalem and the worship of Jehovah centered there, now ruled by a king concerned only with the material aspects of his kingdom and willing to go to any lengths necessary to achieve his aims, and with a queen so bent on idolatry that she would stop at nothing to bring down the knees of Israel before Baal with all the licentious practices to which its worship led. Alas, these were the conditions and this was the time in which our study of Elijah is set.

God’s Opportunity

God had always raised up men of worth, tested and trained through his own providence, to meet every special need of his people. There had been Moses, then Joshua, Samuel, David, and more. Even so, he raised up Elijah, a man of the wilderness, trained and hardened by its loneliness, and privations, a man in close communion with God, a man of rugged appearance, confident faith, stern speech, and unflinching courage, a hard man to meet the needs of a hard time.

This was the man who loomed ominously in front of Ahab and said, “As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years but according to my word.”

The next article will deal with the import of these words and will follow the prophet into the wilderness beyond Jordan. Stay tuned.

P.O. Box 91346 Louisville, Kentucky 40291

By Walton Weaver

The word “fool” appears 56 times in the King James Version of the Bible. Of these, 48 of them are in the Old Testament and eight in the New Testament. Most of the Old Testament references are in the wisdom books of Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, but primarily in the book of Proverbs (32 occurrences). The most familiar in the book of Psalms is the passage which says that the one who says in his heart there is no God is a fool (Ps. 14:1). My own favorites from the book of Proverbs are the following:

He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool (10:18).

It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom (10:23).

He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart (11:29).

The way of the fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise (12:15).

A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth and is confident (14:16).

A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent (15:5).

Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool (19:1)

It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling (20:3).

Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words (23:9).
As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool (26:1).

As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly (26:11).

A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards (29:11).

Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? There is more hope of a fool than of him (29:20).

In the New Testament, Jesus called the rich farmer of Luke 12:13-21 a “fool” because he worked simply to store up more and more of the fruits of his labors while ignoring God in his life. Paul also used the word to identify people in various situations (1 Cor. 3:18; 15:36). When he found it necessary in 2 Corinthians to glory somewhat in his own sufferings in order to defend his apostleship, he conceded that he was using the language of a fool (2 Cor. 11:23; 12:6, 11).

Who Is A Fool?

So what does it mean for one to be a fool? Basically the word “fool” means “without reason, senseless, foolish” (Arndt-Gingrich, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament 72). The word “foolish” appears almost 50 times in Scripture, so the two words, “fool” and “foolish,” when added together are used about 100 times in the King James Version of the Bible.

When looking for self-acclaimed fools in the Bible we probably should not count the times Paul admits to acting as a fool in speaking of his sufferings as an apostle. Paul was not really acting foolishly, but he certainly was made to feel like a fool, and others no doubt would consider him to be acting foolishly by using his own sufferings in his defense. It made him appear to be glorying in himself. If we omit Paul, as I am convinced we should, then the only time we have a frank admission from anyone in the Bible that he had been a fool is when Saul, the first king of Israel, said, “I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly” (1 Sam. 26:21, emphasis mine, ww). 

Saul is a clear case of one who truly played the fool. There is no room for doubt here. He is one who had acted without reason both before God and in his treatment of David, and Saul was honest enough to see it and admit it. This is not usually true of those who act this way. But notice, first, before Saul began to play the fool . . .

Saul Had Much Going For Him

Like others who had gone before, and many who have came after him, there were many things that were true of Saul that, if used as intended, they would have made him do better.

1. He was from a prominent and wealthy family. Saul’s father is described as “a mighty man of valor” (1 Sam. 9:1). His father being of great wealth and substance shows that his family was of high consideration in the tribe of Benjamin, even though Saul himself, “adopting the common forms of affected humility which Oriental people are wont to use” (Jamieson, I, Part 2:154), describes it as “the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin” (v. 21).

2. He was a choice young man and handsome. The word “goodly” in 1 Samuel 9:2 is rendered “handsome” in the NASB. The verse goes on to say that “there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he,” i.e., a more handsome man. In addition to this, he was a head higher than any of the people. When we put it all together we have a man with the strength and looks of youth, and a very good-looking young man at that! As one person put it, “a gigantic stature and an athletic frame must have been a popular recommendation at that time in that country.” But has there ever been a time and a country where such a young man did not receive a “popular recommendation”? Such a person, at least from the physical side of his makeup, was surely very well suited to serve as king over Israel.

3. He had a changed heart. After Saul had been chosen by God as the first king of Israel, according to 1 Samuel 10:9, “God gave him another heart.” This appears to be a way of informing that God was instrumental in leading Saul in another direction and enabling him to now give himself wholly to the administration of his kingdom. With his new heart Saul was no longer burdened with other matters such as being concerned about his livelihood. Instead he now had the heart of a statesman, a general, a prince. Matthew Henry describes this change in the following way: “A new fire was kindled in his breast, such as he had never before been acquainted with: seeking the asses is quite out of his mind, and he thinks of nothing but fighting the Philistines, redressing the grievances of Israel, making laws, administering justice, and providing for the public safety; these are the things that now fill his head” (Commentary on the Whole Bible 2:260).

4. He was a humble man. First, notice Saul’s response when he is first informed by Samuel of God’s plan to appoint him as king over Israel. Even though Samuel does not say he is God’s choice in these words, his question to Saul, “And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father’s house?” implies as much. Saul clearly understood what he meant, and with this understanding, he asked Samuel, “Am not I a Benjaminite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Wherefore then speakest thou so to me?” (1 Sam. 9:21). In other words, “I’m not important enough to be king over Israel, am I?”

Second, when they were looking for Saul to present him to the people he was hard to find. He was not seeking the attention of the people, even after he had been told what God had planned for him. Where was he found? The Bible says “he was hid among the stuff” (1 Sam. 10:22). His humility is apparent in this statement. He was not seeking a place of prominence in God’s kingdom. This is one of the most important qualities for success in God’s work.

5. He was numbered among the prophets. Saul was told that he would meet a company of prophets who would prophesy, and that he also would receive the Spirit of God, “and . . . prophesy with them, and . . . be turned into another man” (1 Sam. 10:5-6). It was after this promise that God gave him another heart and the signs promised to him were fulfilled. After Saul prophesied as promised, the people began to say one to another, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” (1 Sam. 10:10-11).

We might think that in light of all these advantages, surely such a man would not fail, would he? But in spite of all of these things in his favor,

He Still Played The Fool

It is sad to hear from Saul himself, “God is departed from me, and answereth me no more” (1 Sam. 28:15). What had Saul done to lead him to this sad conclusion, “I have played the fool”? Several things may be noted.

1. He disobeyed God. The fact that he disobeyed God belongs at the top of the list. And he did so more than once. The first example of Saul’s disregard  for God’s word is when he went up to Gilgal ahead of Samuel and offered a burnt offering unto God. Samuel had told him to go ahead of him, “and, behold, I will come down to thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do” (1 Sam. 10:8). But Saul got impatient while waiting for Samuel. The Bible says that he waited for the seven days as instructed, but when Samuel did not arrive in the specified time Saul took it on himself to offer up the burnt offering (1 Sam. 13:8-10). When Samuel arrived he rebuked Saul for his misdeed and said he had acted foolishly: “Thou has acted foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee” (1 Sam. 13:13). Because of his disobedience Samuel told him that God would take his kingdom away from him and give it to another, even to David, “a man after his own heart” (vv. 13-14).

Saul also disobeyed God when he failed to slay Agag and he “spared . . . the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them” (1 Sam. 15:9). God had told him that he was to “smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass” (v. 3). Samuel described Saul’s sin as “rebellion” against God (v. 23). As in the former case, so in this instance as well, Saul’s attempts to justify his actions were rejected. He finally admitted, “I have sinned” (v. 30), but it seems to have been an empty confession, and it was too late.

2. He became envious of David’s successes. We are impressed with the unselfishness that seemed to characterize him before when he refused to destroy the sons of Belial for not bringing gifts to the new king (1 Sam. 10:27). Evidently it was expected that they bring such gifts. But Saul “held his peace.” Yet after Saul had disobeyed God and he had been told that the kingdom would be taken from him, we see a different man. When Saul returned from the slaughter of the Philistines, “the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Sam. 18:6-7). Upon hearing this, we are told, “And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him. . . . And Saul eyed David from that day and forward” (vv. 8-9). A wise man tells us that envy “is the rottenness of the bones” (Prov.14:30). Saul had developed this terrible disease.

3. He imagined troubles that were not there. It is easy to become delusionary when we are jealous of others. We begin to imagine things that are not true. Saul simply would not believe that David would do him no harm and that he actually sought what was good for him. Jonathan told Saul to stop sinning against David, “because his works have been to theeward very good” (1 Sam. 19:4). But Saul would not believe him. When one reaches this state of mind he gives meaning to words that are not there, and he begins to interpret things that people do in the opposite way in which they were meant. He begins to fear the worst and becomes afraid of troubles that will never happen. Saul had become like that.

4. He was unfair to David. Saul was telling David he loved him while trying to kill him. He told his servants to go and tell David “secretly,” “Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king’s son in law” (1 Sam. 18:22). It’s hard for us to imagine that Saul would give David a wife (his younger daughter, Michal, who loved David, v. 20) only to take her back. But that’s what he planned. It was only a pretense of love on Saul’s part to provide him with an opportunity to kill him. David was the greatest asset to Saul’s kingdom, but Saul did not have the good sense to see it. David had respect for Saul and loved Jonathan, Saul’s son, as if he were his own soul. He had opportunities to kill Saul but always spared his life.

Big men like David do great things in the kingdom of God. Little men like Saul are envious of those who are able to do more than they can — or else do it better, and they get on the wrong track by majoring in trifles and do everything they can to destroy them. When they do, like Saul, they do no more than “play the fool.”

1820 Hairston Ave., Conway, Arkansas 72032

By Larry Ray Hafley

Humans have six basic facial expressions to show fear, anger, sadness, disgust, surprise, and happiness. Though there is no specific facial expression for love, everyone knows it when he sees it! 

The successful person is the one who can smile when he would rather express disgust or anger. Some say they are happy and insist they are not angry or disgusted. Since they forget to tell their face about their happiness, we are unaware of it. Be reluctant to suppress a smile, but do not hesitate to keep most frowns from reaching the surface. A forced smile is better than a sincere glare. 

The best way for a man to show himself to be friendly is through a smile. A smile is the language of greeting, acceptance, warmth, favor, and fellowship. A frown is its opposite (Mark 3:5). 

Yes, more often than I like to admit, I need “a facial,” a “complete makeover,” a change of countenance. The most rewarding ones are those that begin in the heart, for if a smile is superficial and has no depth, it quickly fades and loses its luster (Prov. 15:13). How about you? Do you need a facial?  

By Jonathan L. Perz

Medical doctors know that there are some diseases that cannot be healed by treating their symptoms. Likewise, there are some spiritual maladies that cannot be overcome by merely treating symptoms. Forsaking the assembling of the saints is one such malady.

Without a doubt, forsaking the assembling of the saints is a sin in and of itself (Heb. 10:24-25). However, it often proves to be a symptom of some other sin — one more deeply imbedded within the heart of an individual. When one begins to miss assemblies, loving and caring brethren begin to be concerned. They express their concern by begging and pleading with the erring one to attend services. The preacher might be asked to preach on forsaking the assembly. Some situations might even be pressed to the point where the withdrawal of fellowship is necessary. Yet, this may prove futile and will not solve the deeper problems unless the cause of one’s absence is revealed.

Therefore, to effectively combat this sin, which afflicts many saints in many areas, we must understand some of the UN-derlying problems to this malicious spiritual malady.

UN-faithfulness

Obviously, a Christian’s absence from assembling is in itself a direct manifestation of unfaithfulness. Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17) and God’s word commands Christians to “consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some” (read Heb. 10:23-27 carefully). When one is willfully absent from services, the problem is unfaithfulness.

In its deepest sense, to forsake is an attitude of the heart. It is not a matter of time or frequency. Just prior to giving us the command not to forsake, the Hebrew writer reminds us, “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23). We need to hold fast our confession and be faithful like our Lord. Regular attendance is one way we do that. On the other hand, immediately following the Hebrew writer’s command, he admonishes, “For if we sin willfully …” (v. 27). This is how we must understand “forsaking the assembling.” It is a willful sin!

Whenever one consciously and willfully chooses to do something other than assemble with the saints, he is forsaking the assemblies. If one rolls over to catch another hour of sleep on the Lord’s day, he has willfully chosen to do so. If one decides to watch a football game or play in a baseball game when the saints are gathered, he sins willfully. Beneath each instance of “forsaking the assemblies” lies the sin of UN-faithfulness.

UN-reliable

In Matthew 25, we find the Lord declaring some as “good and faithful” servants (v. 21). Can this be said of us when we forsake the assembling of ourselves together? Faithful here means, “faithful, to be trusted, reliable” (Vine’s, 223). Christians should be reliable in every realm of their life. Would our boss think us reliable if we missed two out of every five days of work? Would our family think us reliable if we stayed away from home for days at a time? What happens when we cannot be relied upon in the church?

Not only do some forsake two out of every three assemblies, when they do attend, they are UN-prepared for Bible study, UN-fit to lead in worship, and UN-able to contribute to the edification process. The Bible says our stewardship depends upon our reliability (1 Cor. 4:2). If one is unreliable in the kingdom, as it exists on earth, will God grant him entrance into the kingdom, as it exists in heaven?

UN-committed

Christianity, these days, seems to be less a matter of commitment and more a matter of convenience. We tend to seek things that are easy and convenient. This might be fine for carnal matters, but it wreaks havoc in our spiritual lives. For many, attending each assembly of the church is inconvenient. They feel strapped by the obligation. Rather than anticipate, they come to dread such sweet fellowship (cf. Ps. 122:1). Such horrible words and attitudes should not accompany the assembling of the saints.

When one becomes a Christian, he makes a commitment to God. He is “yoked together” with him (Matt. 11:28-30). When one forsakes the assembling, he is manifesting his unfaithfulness to that commitment. Unlike Felix, who sought what was convenient, but did not commit, many have committed and then call for convenience (cf. Acts 24:24-25). It is like the illustration of a young man who was “desperately in love.” He wrote the pearl of his life and said he would be “willing to endure frigid cold, cross burning sands, climb the highest of mountains, or swim the ocean just to be in her charming presence.” He then closed that letter saying, “And I will see you Wednesday night if it does not rain.”

For the committed Christian, there is never a question about whether he will be found assembled with the saints. It is automatic. If the doors of the meetinghouse are open, he is there. This is commitment! 

UN-grateful

Are we like the nine lepers who were healed, but did not return to give thanks to God (Luke 17:12-19)? Or are we like the one Samaritan leper who did?

Beneath every case of forsaking the assembly is an ungrateful heart. There is a soul who has sought out the Lord’s healing, and having obtained it, cannot take time out of his busy life to glorify God. Indeed, such a condition is deplorable, even by the world’s standards.

What if God manifested the same attitude towards us that we do towards his saints? What if God met our needs the way we give him our lives? What if God took away each blessing we do not manifest true thanksgiving for? Are we grateful for the blessing of our assemblies, his fellowship, and his kingdom?

UN-fruitfulness

In many places, the word of God is likened unto a seed that is planted in our hearts. God intends for that seed to grow, mature, and produce fruit in our lives (Gal. 5:22-25; 2 Pet. 1:5-11; Matt. 13:18-23). One underlying problem with forsaking the assembling is like that of the fig tree (Luke 13:6-9).

Many become children of God, but never reach maturity in Christ. Brethren, elders, and gospel preachers fertilize and water this tree, yet it produces no fruit. Jesus revealed the fateful doom of such a one, when he said, “Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this tree and find none, Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?” (Luke 13:7). He also taught, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away . . . By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit” (John 15:2, 8). When the Lord seeks fruit in your life, will he find any?

UN-concerned

If none of the aforementioned applies, perhaps one is simply unconcerned. Many who profess Christianity are unconcerned about spiritual matters: the brethren, the church, the Lord, fulfilling the commands of the Lord, and believe it or not, heaven. One might say he is concerned about these things, but what do his actions say when he forsakes assemblies?

The Bible says Paul had a “deep concern” for the churches (2 Cor. 11:28). Titus had an “earnest care” for the saints (2 Cor. 8:16-17). Paul tells us of Timothy that he had “no one like-minded, who (would) sincerely care for” the state of the saints in Philippi (Phil. 2:19-22). The Lord cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7). Are we concerned enough to attend the assembling of the saints at every opportunity?

Conclusion

Does the church you labor with have a problem with forsaking the assembly? If there are less at Sunday PM worship than there are at Sunday AM worship, then there are problems! If your Sunday PM and mid-week Bible study look like skeleton crews, then there are problems! Let us not throw in the towel and capitulate on forsaking the assembly. Let us continue to fight and focus our efforts where the problem really exists, just beneath the surface of the heart.

1621 Hillcrest Dr., Green Bay, Wisconsin 54313, jperz@new.rr.com