                      340                                            T#E  STANbAkD   ijEjAkEk

                                                                                    , vioience,  which is punishable by law; .but I. mean the
                                                                                          employment of any means that is  calcillated to compel
                                                                                          the employer to yield to the demands of the union
                                                                                          a&in& his will, and regardless of the question whether
                .           I:                                                            or not he agrees to the justice of the demands.
                      .           The  %.  L. A..  An(i'Strikes                                 In such a case the laborer only decides what shall
                                                                                          .be considered just.
                              It must be evident to all that there must be a                    If we can agree on this definition of force, it will
                      p&&pal difference between a Chr$im  Labor Alliance be evident that the strike must be considered a weapon
                       and  a""neutral"  or  `,worIdly  Union,  ,if there is any of force in the hands of the* union.
                      reason for the existence of the former.               ~.                  kf it had no power to compel the employer to  com-
                              A difference in degree can never *be a suflicient rea- "ply with the demands of the laborer, a- strike would
                      son for a separate organization.                                    never be called. To exercise `compulsion  .is exactly
                              If there is only a gradual differen&between the the..purpose oi a stae. It. is exactly because this is
           I           C.L.A. on the one hand, and the A.F. of .L. and  Ch.0. ,;the purpose of the strike that picketing is instituted to
                      on- the other, the inevitable result will be &that the              add force to the means whereby the employer is to be
                      former will more and more approach the latter, co- -~.mpelled to yield `against his will. And that this is
                       operate  with them, and &e mea@ intO f&m in Fe'. .:-the  real punpose  of the stfiers .is e~&nt, too, from
                      industrial struggle. The gradual difference $1 -grad- . the physical violence that usually accompanies a strike;
                                                                            ~`,
                      ually be wiped out.                                                 e&ecially if it is prolonged or the employer attempts
                            The C.L.A. must stand and operate on itsown  dis-. t-`&j "break" the strike.                  .
                      tinctive  basis, or it must fall.'              :                         ,A strike is not  "the same as quitting one's job.
                             It must assume a standpoint fundamentally different .~t ' *IS not even  an organized refusal to  ,work under
                      Ifrom that of the worldly bunions,  it must have a dif- S "&&ain conditions. It is refusal to work with the
                      fe.rent.Purpos%  and, therefb&  ,% mufd a@oY $ffef"&                && that those who thus refuse to work have the sole
                      methods.           )'                                              ,right to the job they virtually quit. Those that strike
                              Now,. in ,what way does the fundamentally~distinc-          $io not mean to quit their job ; they intend ,to, keep it;
                      %ive basis of a c%ristian  labor union,affect  the iriethO@ `. they deny that they quit ; and they deny t&at anyone
.*                    'k EUl@OYS ? MY 8IlSWW iS : iIl this *Way that a @J%-               :& &e moral. right b t&e their places,                $f tiers
      *               %G .&bbr &Op ?ze'Ve?T uses force *to gain a C@!$h. end. &c&e'  their intention to take their jobs,. or:if so'me
                              `As SOOIl iS a Christian labor U.IliOn a2EWIWs ffie ' &use to coopera+ witi the &tiers and continue to
                 stand @at. it till ,not ~$OY force in a certain labor                    &ork,  t&y try to persuade  aem Q-&. thy .bve .no
                      dispute-   &Ml  all  other   means  fait, the  difference   be      right to do so ; if they persist they heap rerproach  on
                      tween it and the .yorldly union is principally obliter-,  _ the `,`scab";  if this does not serve the purpose they try
                      ated, has become one of degree.                                     to prevent them from entering the shop by physical
                             ,Now,  the editor of. the Christian Labor Herald ap- viol&ce. This is the purpose of picketing a plant.
                       Rears to agree on this point. He, too, condemns the' The `purpose of the strikers, therefore, is not at all
                       employment of force. But we do not agree `on tile to quit their job, but to force the employer to  yieId  to
                       question whether or not the strike is a weaponpf force' ,their"demands  lby making it i.mpo&ble  $or the plant
                      ~&hat.-  cannot and may not be en@oyecl  by a Christian $o ope.r&.
                      labor union. IXe defends the strike and denies that-it                    The strike, therefore, does not belong to  the,  cate-
                      i implies the use of `force ; I condemn it and maintain gcwy of moral persuasion,  but mu& ce@ainly  be classi-
                      `that  ,the very idea of any strike is to use force in              fied as the use of force.
                      order to gain one's end. It must be, therefore,'  I$$ he                  Hence,, it must be condemned.
                      and I differ, either in respect to our conception of the "                It is based on the principle of the.  class struggle.
                       strike, or in our .defl.nition  orf force.                       It  $4  ,unchristian.
                              In my opinion, there are only three .possible means               The objection is often raised:  ."but  `if we openly
                      . to. settle a given labor dispute, viz. 1. ithat of arbitra-. ' declare that we will consistently refuse to strike, we
                       tion until the end ; 2. that of I intervention - by `the* ,.fl never gain anything at all".
                       government; 3. that of the employment of ,force by                  :    `My answer is twofold.
                       the  organizecl  laborers. The  first two are, of course,  '             First, it all depends what end a Christian' Labor
                       legitimate means  ; the last one is to be condemned.              Alliance has in  vie+: If its ultimate purpose is
                      * ~ A strike certainly cannot be classified  with either material advantage for the time being, I admit that in
                 . ,of the first two possible methods ; it falls under the this world the use of force will prove to *be the most
                           third category.                                                .eff&ctive. If, however, it aims chiefly to be a Christian
                             By force I do not  *mean only the use of  physi'cal           testimony and confession to ,the glory of ,Qd in the
                                                                                                                                         1.;          i
                                                                                                                                                `.


                                                                                               .
 industrial world, it'certainly will realize its purpose
 and can only reach its aim by refraining from all em-               The Reformation And The Bible*
lployment  of force.
    Secondly, if a so-called Christian Labor Alliance              Tonight we celebrate the beginning of the Reforma-
 seeks material things and attempts to obtain them by tion of the church. We may, indeed, and often do
 the employment of force, it will surely fail, not only as speak simply of  the  Reformation, and every Christian
 a'(X.?&&a~  Union, but also as a Union, for. the simple that has any knowledge of the history of the Church
 reason that it will always be too small in numbers and, knows that the Reformation of the sixteenth century
therefore, too weak to enforce its demands. In a city is meant. Not, indeed, as if it were the only reforma-
 hike Grand Rapids a C.L.A. might probably amount tion of the Church in history. There have been others.
to;something  from the viewpoint of power, if all Chris-       In a sense we may even say that the Church is always,
tian laborers could be persuaded to  .join its ranks.          is, continually reforming. But the Reformation of the'
But what about their brethren in a city like Chicago? sixteenth century concerns the entire Church in every
 In such places a C.L.A. that aimed at influence by land and of all the succeeding centuries. And, there?
force, would amount to exactly nothing.                        fore, when one speaks of the Reformation without fur-
    What, then, will be the result if the C.L.A. insists       ther qualification, it is understood that the movement
on employing methods of force?                                 is meant that was begun on-the thirty-first of October
    This, that it will quickly reveal itself as being prin-    four hundred and twenty three years ago.
cipally no different from any other union.                         It was on that night, the eve of- All Saints Day,
    It will manifest itself as  bein,g no distinctively        that Dr. Martin Luther .nailed  his famo,us ninety five
Chr%tian  union at ah. Nor will it *be strong enough to theses to the door  of the castle-church in Wittenberg,
maintain itself as a union at all.                             an  act that was destined to have far greater  con-
   The salt twill have lost its savor. It is good for sequences than its author even remotely surmised.
nothing.                                                       These theses  punposed  to be nothing more-than a pro-
    I was present at the funera rites for the last re- test against the sale of indnIgences as it was conducted
mains of a former attempt at a Christian Labor Union           in those days. An indulgence, as you know, was a
in Grand Rapids. The funeral was held in the base- certificate of the forgiveness of sins signed. by the
ment of the Bates Street `Christian Reformed Church. pope. The pope, being in need of special funds for the
    If the present `C.L.A. *will have the courage of  its      building of atie St. Peter's Cathedral in. Rome, had
convictions and will stand on a strictly Christian basis,      conceived of the idea of issuing  a:large  number of
it will. be a`glorious  confession in the midst of a world     these indulgences and offerincg them for sale to the
of sin, .unrest; hatred and revolution, that is hastening people. It so happened that a particularly shameless
to destruction. It will have power, spiritual power,           monk, Tetzel by name, conducted this saIe in a manner
and will always be victorious, regardless of its small         that was especially offensive, in the neighborhood of
numbers.                                                       Wittenberg,  iwhere Dr. Martin Luther taught  .and
    But if it does-not have the courage to stand on a preached. And learning of the methods of this monk,
distinctively Christian basis, it will die.                    and hearing of his' approach to Wittenberg, Luther's
   And I don't think that  I will be present at the            fiery indignation was aroused, and he expressed this
funeral services.                                              indignation in his ninety five theses, which on that
                                                               night of the 31st of October, 1617, he nailed to the
                                               H. H.           church-door, that on the  tfollowing day all might read
                                                               and catch the  fie of Luther's indignation. Little did
                                                               Luther himself realize the full implication of this act,
                          -                                    Certain it is that he did not intend a break  with the
                                                               church.    Yet such it was. The ninety five theses,
                                                               which meant to be merely a protest against some of,
                        NOTIdE                                 the corrupt practices of the church, was the beginning
   New Standard Bearer Agents are: Mr. J. Oomkes,              of the liberation of the-church from the bondage of
                                                               Roman Catholicism. It was in the truest sense of.the
West of Eastern Ave. from Wealthy to ;Hall; Mr. D. word a declaration of freedom.
Rietema, South of Hall ; Mr. Wierenga in Oak Lawn,                However, one who says this must needs say more.
                                                               He must define this freedom of the sixteenth century,
Illinois. Membership or subscription fees can be paid There are those in our day, who have long departed
to them or be collected by them.                               from the faith of the Reformers, who, nevertheless,
                                                               claim them as their -spiritual ancestors. They deny
                             The R. F. P, A, Board..           the Christ the Reformers confessed, they spurn the


       342                                    T H E   STANDARD'BEARER                         1

        righteousti&,ss   ir?Xbe blood of the  cross  Luther  SO may be said that the Reformation was a return to true
       earnestly sought  and  so strongly. emphasized ever obedien,ce  and subjection to authority. Nor is it true,
        since he found it; they must have nothing of the that the Reformation made an appeal to Christian
        authority of the Scriptures which the Reformers held experience, least of all the experience of the individual
       high ; yet they also speak of the Reformation as the           freedom as against the pretensions of the Church,
        liberation of the church. They present the matter even this individual freedom may not be-interpreted as
        as if what, Luther did on October 31st,  1'71'7, was but      the autonomy of the human mind and reason. The
       the  beginning*of  the movement that found its climax          writer of that paragraph may, from his own view-
        in the declaration of the autonomy of man, of reason.         point, have understood the Renaissance, he utterly
        Luther, they say, liberated `us from the tyranny and          failed to see the  si~gnificance  of the Reformation.
       . domination of the hierarchical church; modern thought           What, then, was the nature of the liberating move-
        only continued the same movement and also freed us lment of the Reformation? My first answer" to  .this
       , from the tyranny of the book, meaning the Bible.. To question is, that it liberated the Bible itself. YOU may,
       `&amine' this claim and to expose its  lfalsity  we can do perhaps, remark that this is a somewhat strange  ex-
       no better than to speak  to you on:                           i pression. You object, perhaps, that the Word of God
                                                                     % always free and that it is quite impossi'ble  to put it
              THE  REFORMATION   AND  THE  BIBLE. I  "will try
        to show youthat the Reformation was :                        ,i in bondage. And this is true, of course, if .you  mean
                                                                     by the Word of God,. the almighty and efficacious Word
                  I.' A liberation of the Bible ;                     God Himself "speaks.. That Word is irresistible and
                  II. A liberation  tow,ard  the Bible;               certainly. is never bound. And  ,it did its  work all
                 III. A liberation according to the Bible.  t        through the ages, even in the darkest of periods. It
                                                                     was the cause of those separate movements that  -pre-
       ~ I. Mot infrequently the Reformation is confused pared the Reformation, connected with the names of
        with and placed on a par with what is known as the           John HUSS,  John Knox, the Waldenses  and Albigenses,
        Renaissance, or the revival of learning and art. And and to an extent SavonaroIa  in Italy, and the Brethren
        it is a result of this confusion when the Reformation of of the Common Life in the Netherlands. It also pre-
       the  sixteenth'century  is described as the liberation of pared the Reformation in the soul of Luther, before it
       the human reason from the shackles of all authority.          finally  Gbroke.forth  into a blazing  fire on  that memorable
        Arthur Kenyon Rogers makes this error in the follow-
`..                                                                  eve of All Saints Day in 1517. But what cannot tbe
        ing paragraph from his "A Student's History of Philo- done to the Word of God as God Himself speaks it,
        sophy?  :_..?Beyond  Italy the Renaissance took on a certainly may be and often is done to the Word of God
       ,somewhat  different form. In Germany, where it was as we possess it in written form, in the Bible. It can
       grafted on a type of mind naturally profounder and be put into bondage. And this was actually done as it
       more `religious, and where the religious litfe had al-        still is done by the Roman. Catholic Church. ft was
       &ady been deepened *by the ,mysticism of B&hart zind           from this bondage that the Reformation liberated the
        Tauler and the Brethren of the Common Life, its most          Bible.
       characteristic product  *was the Reformation of Luther;           In two respects the Bible was put into bondage by
       even Humanism in its German form, as typified in the Romish Church before the Reformation. First of
        Erasmus and Melanchton, shows strong religious sym- all, it was buried under a pile of tradition, by which the
        pathies. But the Reformation is an expression of the Holy .Scriptures  {were gradually being replaced. Doc-
        same revolt against authority, By its doctrine of justi- trines and institutions of men were pIaced on a par
        fication by faith apart from any external mediation,          with the Word of God. By this accumulation of tradi-
        and by its appeal to immediate Christian experience, it tion we are referring to the teachings of the fathers,
       stood for individual freedom as against the pretensions the decrees of the ecclesiastical councils, and the official
        of the Church." p. 209-10.                                    declarations of the Pope in matters concernmg faith
              It would be difficult to  find a paragraph more         and walk.     These were considered to be of equal
       crowded with errors than the one I just read. Tt pre- authority with the Scriptures themselves. They were
        sents the Reformation as a. form of the `Renaissance,         appealed to as the end of all argument. And it can
        which it certainly was not. It even .declares that in readily be surmised that gradually they  oocupied  a
        Germany the Reformation- was a product of the Re- place of more importance and greater authority  than
        naissance, which it could not possibly be, even as light that of the Bible. It must ever be so. Even with us,
        cannot `be the product of darkness, grace of nature,          who theoretically hold that the Bible is the last and
        faith of reason. Without  fnrther limitation it  decl$res     only court of appeal, &id that all human doctrines and
       that the Reformation was an expression of the s&e              institutions and  decIarations,  even the confessions
        revolt against authority as `the Renaissance, which it themselves must be judged by it, it proves to be `ex-
        certainly was not; in fact, with far more justice it tremely difficult to revise or recant a declaration by the


Church, once the Church has spoken. Witness the affection of piety and reverence, all the books both of
three errors of 1924. But how easy, then, it must be the Old and of the New Testament-seeing. that one
for tradition to gain the first  pIace and the greater God is the author of both-as also the said traditions,
authority, when once it is admitted that it stands on a as well those pertaining to ifaith as, to morals, as hav-
gar with the Scriptures! Doctrines and practices of            ing been dictated, either by Christ's own word of
men took the place of the Bible ; the latter was rele-         mouth, or by the Holy Ghost, and preserved in the
gated to oblivion ; its direct testimonybwas  withheld Catholic Church by a continuous succession". It goes
an.d. suppressed ; and the Church, i.e. the Church Insti- on to enumerate the books that are considered canon-
tute, i.e. the clergy culminating in the infallible Pope,      ical, including in them also the apocryphal books, and
bcame the final court of appeal ! The authority of the it declares at the same time, that only the Latin trans-
Word of God had been subjected to the authority of the         lation of the Bible known as th.e ,Vulgate shall be held
Word of Man !                                                  as authentic; and it threatens with the curse all that
   As a necessary  corellary  to this first instance  of refuse to receive as sacred and canonical, this Vulgate
putting the Bible into ,bondage,  the Church also de-          edition of the Bible, together with all the traditions
clared that she only, the Holy Mother Church, had the of the Church.  Schaff: Creeds of Christendom, II,
authority and the power to interpret the Holy Scrip- 81, 82. And it continues: "Furthermore, in order to
tures, and that all the individual members of the              restrain petulant spirits, it decrees, that no one relying
Church on earth were obligated to abide by that inter- on his own skill, shall,-in matters of faith, and of
pretation, to receive it as infallible, and never to be-       morals  Ipertaining  to the edification of Christian doc-
lieve or to teach anything repugnant to that interpre-         trine,-wresting the sacred Scripture by his own
tation by the Church. Free exegesis of Holy Writ was senses, presume to interpret the said sacred Scripture
thereby strictly forbidden.  `i Always one who would contrary to #at sense which Holy mother Church,;
intenpret the  .Bible,  were he ever so able and learned,      whose it is to judge of the true sense and interpreta-
was bound to inquire, first of all, what twas the expIan-      tion of the Holy Scripture,- hath held and doth hold ;
ation of a certain passage offered by the Church, and          or even contrary to the unanimous consent of the
by it his own was bound beforehand. The result was,            Fathers; even though such interpretations were never
too, .that the Bible was withheld from the laity. The          intended to be at any time published. Contraveners
Church, and by the Church Roman Catholicism ever               shall be made known by their Ordinaries, and be
means the clergy, the priest, the Pope, alone has the          punished with the penalties' by law established".
promise of  .being guided by the Spirit into all the truth.    ibidem, 83. We could quote more, but this is sufficient
It is, therefore, dangerous for the common member of to establish the truth of our contention,' that the Bible
the Church as an organism to have the Bible in his             was subjected to and held in bondage by human pre-
possession, to read it and to study it for himself.            sumption of authority.
Many passages are hard for him to understand, and                 From this human bondage of the Bible the Reform-
without the guidance and authority of the hoIy Mother ation liberated the Word of God by declaring and in-
Church, he will readily distort them to his own de-            sisting upon two truths. In the first place it announced
struction. Hence, it is  .better for him to come into the  suficiency  of Holy Scripture. By this doctrine the
contact with the Bible, not directly, but indirectly, that Reformers did not intend to despise tradition. They
is, only through the interpretation of the Church, in well understood that also the Church of the past was
whose infallible guidance he must have implicit faith.         led by the Holy Spirit, and they were far from that
    Such were the views and practices of the Romish undenominationalism and "open Bible Churchism" of
Church with respect to the Bible. That this is no              today, that would pretend to act as if our generation
mere Protestant opinion, but the &.%ual stand of the           were the first that approached Holy Scripture and
Roman Catholic Church even today, may be gathered interpreted it. Bat they certainly did emphasize that
from the declarations of its councils and Papes. Short- no other word than the pure Word of the Gospel `was
ly after the Reformation has  ,become an accomplished          necessary unto salvation for any man. They rejected
fact the famous Council of Trent began its sessions, tradition as  ,being of the same value and authority `as
which were continued over a number of years. In its the Bible. Clearly this `is already annunciated in `the
session of April 8, 1546 that body of Roman Catholic Formula Concordiae, which declared in Art. I: "We
divines  de&red that : "seeing clearly that this truth believe, confess, and teach that the only rule and norm,
and discipline  arc contained in the written books, and according to which all dogmas and all doctrines ought
the unwritten traditions, which, received from the to be esteemed and judged, is no other whatever than
Apostles. themselves, the Holy Ghost dictating, have the prophetic and apostolic writings. both of the Old and
come down even unto us, transmitted as it were from of the New Testament, as it is written (Ps.  119:105)   :
hand to hand: the Synod following the example of the `Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my
orthodox fathers, receives and venerates with an equal path'. And St. Paul saith (Gal. 1  :X8) : `Though an


344                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you, divine Scriptures ; nor ought we to compare custom, or
let him be accursed'.                                       the great multitude, or antiquity, or succession of
       "But other writings, whether of the fathers or of times or persons, or councils, detirees  or statutes, with
the moderns, with whatever name they come, are in the truth of God,. for the truth is above all; for all
no wise to  ,be  equalled  to the Holy Scriptures, but are men are of themselves liars, and more vain than vanity
all to be esteemed inferior to them, so that they be itstelf. Therefore we reject with all our hearts what-
not otherwise received than in the rank  af witnesses, soever doth not agree with this infallible rule, which
to show what doctrine was taught after the Apostles' the  kpostles  have taught us, saying, Try  the spirits
times also, and in what parts of the world that more whether they are of God ; likewise, If there come any
sound doctrine  .of the Prophets and the Apostles has       unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not
been Ipreserved".     Schaff, Creeds of Christendom, III, into your house".
93, 94.                                                        And over against the Roman Catholic view that the
       Clearly this is also expressed in the "Ten Conclu- Scriptures can only be intenpreted by the Holy Mother
sions of Berne", which in its second articie declares:      Church, the Reformation proclaimed the principle  of
(translated from the German) "The Church of Christ the perspicuity of Scripture. The Word of God is
makes no laws and precepts outside of the Word of clear to all. It must `be interpreted, not in the Iight
God; whence it follows that all institutions of men,        of an officially established interpretation, but in its
called Church-ordinances, cannot bind us except. in own light. Exegesis must be free. Not even dog-
so far as they are founded in and commanded by the          matics, not even the Iconfessions  of the Church may
Word of God." Schaff, III, 209. And in the First dominate exegesis. And the Bible is sufficiently clear
Helvetic  Confession we read (Art. I) : `The Holy,          to be given to and interpreted by all believers. No,
divine, biblical Scripture, which is the Word of God,       indeed, the Reformers did' not favor the view that
inspired by the  (Holy Spirit, and proclaimed to the every individual Christian must intenpret  the Bible
world by the Prophets and Apostles, is the very oldest,     apart from the  Chunch  of the present and of the past.
most pen&&  and most exalted doctrine, and it alone They had a clear conception of the Church and of the
comprehends all that is conducive to "the true know- calling of the Church to preach and preserve the Word
ledge, love and glory of God, to real and true piety,       of God.  The individual  ,believer  cannot with impunity
and to a Ipious, honorable and godly walk of life". And disregard his organic relationship to the Church. But
in the second article it declares that the Holy Scrip- the  fact remains, that the interpretation of the  Bi.ble
tures shall not be interpreted in any other way than cannot be the privilege of a distinct class, even though
in its own light. It further declares in' Art. III that they be the officebearers of the Church, but must be
we will esteem those holy fathers, that did not deviate granted to every believer. The Church must not speak
from this sound rule of interpreting-Scripture, not only instead of the Bible, but must merely be instrumental
as true interpreters, but also as chosen instruments of in letting the Bible speak for itself. Hence, the l3lble
God through whom `God spoke and worked. And in was transIated into the language of the people, so that
the fourth article of this confession all other teachings all might have access to its treasures. The Reforma-
and institutions of men,  1,eading us away from the tion conceived as a liberating movement, first of all
living  `God,  are declared to be vain and powerless, be liberated the Bible from Roman Catholic shackles !
they ever so beautiful and attractive, respected and           II. The foregoing already suggests that the Re-
venerable with age. And this is emphasized also in formation at the same time was a liberation toward the
our own Netherland or Belgic Confession of Faith,           Bible. By this I mean to express the idea, that the
Iwhich  devotes an entire article to the  sufficiency of Reformation meant to be a movement to subject all
Holy Scripture, as follows (Art. VII) : "We believe men and the whole man to the authority of the Scrip-
that these Holy  Scripteures  fully contain the will of tures. The very fact that they liberated the Scriptures
God, and that whatsoever man ought to  Ibelieve  unto from the shackles of human oppression, clearly shows
salvation, is sufficiently taught therein. For since the this. Why did the Reformers consider it so important
whole manner of worship which  ,God requires of us is so paramount that the Bible should be permitted to
written in them at large, it is unlawful for anyone, speak for itse1.f'  to the hearts and consciences of men ?
though an Apostle, to teach otherwise than we are Only because they regarded the Scriptures as being
now taught in the Holy Scriptures; nay though it were the Word of God, and, therefore, as being the final
an angel from heaven, as the Apostle Paul saith. For court of appeal, as having absolute authority, to which
since it is forbidden to add unto or to take away any man must subject himself.
thing from the Word of God, it doth thereby evidently          It is here that the Reformation principally differs
appear that the doctrine thereof is most perfect and from modernism, and stands diametrically opposed
complete in all respects. Neither may we compare to it. I have  alieady  mentioned that even the moderns
any writings of men, though ever so holy, with those of today claim to be sons of the Reformation. They


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       345

see in Martin Luther the herald of liberty,  in whose to say that the liberation of the Reformation has noth-
steps they follow; they evaluate the Reformation as a ing in common with this licentiousness of Rationalism.
great liberating movement, the work of which they,                Mysticism also declares the autonomy of Man and
the moderns have carried on snd still do carry for-            finds the source of all knowledge and truth in the
ward. They look upon the Reformation as but another subject, but in distinction from Rationalism it makes
phase of the Renaissance. Both aimed at liberty.               feeling or experience the court of fina appeal, whether
Both freed man from bondage, the latter in the sphere it be the experience of the individlual  or of the Church.
of science and art, the former in the sphere of religion.      It declares that the letter, meaning the Bible, is dead,
But they are mistaken, and the error they make is              it is the Spirit that quickeneth.    It has a wrong con-
a very fundamental one. * It is this : while the modern-       ception of the  reIation between the Word and the
ist declares the autonomy of  M,an, the Reformation            Spirit. It denies that God has once spoken tis `Word,
insisted on the authority of Holy Scripture.           The that His Word of revelation is perfect and complete,
modern philosopher, scientist, preacher,  twill have noth- and that now the Spirit does, indeed, speak and can
ing of authority. Man is the measure of all things.            only make that Word quick and powerful like' a two-
Freedom of thought means to him absolute in?lepen-             edged sword, but that He never speaks another Word
dence of the human *mind. But the Reformation in-              than that which is revealed in the  Bibie. It also"
sisted : "Das Wart sollen  sie stehen lassen" 1 The Holy elevates the authority of Man above that of  Scrirpture,
Scriptures were the sole criterion and source. of our denies, in fact, the authority of Holy Writ. And since
knowledge of God and salvation. It bound man's mind also the feeling or experience of Man is limited to the
and conscience to the Book !                                   things that can and do arise in the heart of Man,
    This  lphilosophy of the autonomy of man, which and the Word of God deals with those things that can
makes man the measure of all things, which makes               never have their origin there, Mysticism like R&ion-
him the creator of his own world, the creator ultimate-        alism terminates in the morass of  Scepticism  and  Ag:
ly of his own God, received its most modern form in            nosticism. And again we say, that the Reformation of*
the preceding century, but is, nevertheless, very old.         the sixteenth century stands diametrically opposed to
Always it found its adherents and prophets, that pro-          modern Mysticism.
claimed it in some form or other. Principally it really           The last form this philosophy of the autonomy of
dates back to the time when the devil subverted. the           Man assumes, we said, is Moralism. It also denies the
Word of God into the lie: "Ye shall be like God". It authority of the Bible, and makes the sense of moral
reveals itself in three different, more or less clearly        obligation, the conscience, the moral judgment, the
distinct forms, according as it deciares  the autonomy source of  all  knowledge and truth, the measure of  `al1
of the human niind, the reason of man ; the autonomy           true religion. All men have an irradicable sense of
of the human" feeling, experience ; or the autonomy of         obligation, the consciousness of a must. From this
the human will or conscience. In the first form it is          sense  Mor&sm attempts to conclude that there must
known as Rationalism ; in its second appearance it is          be a God Who causes this sense of obligation, Who
Mysticism; in its third ,manifestation  it is Moralism.        says to all men: "Thou shalt". But from this  con-.
    Rationalism is the  philosorphy  that seeks the source     siciousness they also derive the contents of their re-
and principle, the norm and criterion of all knowledge         ligion and worship of God. Man's morality is  the.
and truth in the human mind. Reason is supreme.                source and criterion of all truth and goodness. The
And it is independent. It may not be bound by any objective criterion of the Scriptures is denied. Only
objective authority. It is its own  ,authority.  It  ,will as a mora1  code or textbook can certain parts of Holy
know only that which can and does arise in the mind            Writ, especialmly  the Sermon on the Mount, be auseful.
of man. Whatever is contrary to reason, and what-              Like Rationalism and Mysticism  ,also  Moralism de-
ever is beyond or above its scope of comprehension, it         clares the absoIute autonomy of Man. And again, it
denies. It will have nothing to do with revelation.            is easy to see that modern Moralism rfalseIy claims any
Its attitude to the HoIy Scriptures is that of a superior. affinity with the Reformation of the sixteenth century.
It does not submit but  ruie. It does not listen but              For, over against all these philosophies the Reform-
judge.    4nd whatever cannot stand before the bar ation loudly and clearly and very insistently proclaims
of Reason in the Bible must needs be rejected.  And the absolute authority of the Holy Scriptures.. That
as human reason is needs limited to the things that are the Bible is the Word of God, and that, therefore, the
seen and heard, and the Word of God deals with things whole Church and every individual believer must un-
which eye hath not seen and ear hath not heard, neither        conditionally submit to  the. authority of Scripture,
have arisen in the heart of man, it stands to reason           of the written Word, is the formal principle of' the
that Rationalism is essentially and ends up in Agnosti- Reformation. It did not proclaim the freedom of Man
cism, which is Atheism. It is the philosophy `of the           from the Bible, but his liberty to subject himself to
fool, that saith in his heart : "there is no God". Needless    the authority-of the Bible only. That was the clear-


346                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

cut truth the Reformers preached and which they it. He has no peace, because he is not a free man.
never tired of reiterating. That was the strength of         And he is in bondage under the dominion of sin, a
the Reformation. That was the ground of its unshake- slave of the devil. He wili not, ,and he cannot, and he
abIe conviction, even `as it is the cause of the la& of cannot will to will and to do the will of God. Nor can
conviction in our miserable age and of* the modern he ever liberate himself from the shackles of his bon-
church that they refuse to acknowledge the authority dage. For he can neither atone for his sin, nor deliver
of Holy Writ! Many a passage from the official creeds, himself  tfrom  corruption. All his life he is in the fear
of the ch8urches of the' Reformation I might quote in        of death; and there is no way out!
support of this statement, but I will limit myself to           Martin Luther was conscious, painfully conscious
the following from the French Confession of Faith,           of this bondage of condemnation and sin. And he
Art. V: "We believe that the Word contained in these understood that only in righteousness could there be
books has proceeded from God, and receives its author; liberty, the liberty for which his soul yearned. Hence,
ity from Him alone, and not from men. And inasmuch it  became the supreme question of his life: how can a
as it is the rule of all truth, containing all the rule of man be righteous with God? And as he sought an
truth, cantaining  all that is necessary for the service     answer to that urgent question, the Church confronted
of God and for our salvation, it is not Iawful for meni      him. And as a faithful son of the holy mother Church
nor even for angels, to add to it, to take away from it      he recognized her, and anxiously turned to her for an
or to change it. Whence it follows that no authority, answer to his question: .how can a man be justified be-
whether of antiquity, or custom, or numbers, or human fore God? And the church answered: you can obtain
wisdom, or judgments, or proclamations, or edicts, or forgiveness and righteousness by way of confession
decrees, or councils, or visions, or miracles, should be to a priest; and Luther did so, but found no peace.
orpposed to these Holy Scriptures, but, on the contrary, The church answered: you can obtain righteousness by
all things should be examined, regulated, and reformed doing the good works prescribed by the church ; Luther
according to them." This was the formal principle did so, but his question still remained. t The church
of the reformation, and this principle we must main- said,: seek righteousness in the way of self-denial and
tain if we would be sons of that Reformation and per- self chastisement; and Luther tells us that he torment-
petuate the liberty it inaugurated !                         ed himself to death to make peace with God, but in
   III. And thus I naturally approach my last point.         vain. The church advised that he should make piI-
For, the liberation of `the Bible was accomplished, in `grimages  to Rome, and Luther went to the Papa1 city,
order to restore  <the liberty toward the Bible, the liberty only to find bitter disappointment. The church offered
that consists in submitting to the sole authority of         indulgences to bring peace to his troubled soul, but it
Holy Scripture ; and this last liberation, is necessary in was of no avail. And he tells us that aIthough in those
order to make us truly free. There is no other liberty days he tormented himself, he found nothing but un-
than that which is through the Word of God, and we           rest and darkness.
`have no other Word of (God  than that which we now             The evangelical preaching of the town  preacher  at
possess in the Bible.                                        Erfurt had  first brought him to a consciousness of sin
   For what is true freedom? It cannot  possi,bly be         and sent him in quest of righteousness and peace.
the same as human autonomy and absolute indepen- That same preacher had boIdly  exhorted his readers
dence. It cannot be the state in which man is his own to read the Bible. And Luther had gone in search of
law, creates his own Iworld,  makes his own God, is the      a Bible, but found none. For the Bible was an un-
criterion of  all things. It is not the condition in which known quantity in those days, not only with  the laity
man thinks as he wills, wills as he desires, acts as he      but with the clergy as well. And those that should
pleases, without being limited and determined by any have  *been  preachers of the Word of God were de-
objective norm or standard. For man is not his own ceivers, mockers, extortioners, lazily drifting along on
maker, but he is and remains a creature. He is not the current of ecclesiastical tradition. The Bible was
above, but under the law in `the good sense of that not to be found, and the question in Luther's soul be-
word. And true liberty for him consists in this that came more urgent all the time, especially when a dan-
with all his inner being and outward action, with mind       gerous illness attacked him, and when a friend of  hia
and will and all his desires and, powers he is in harmony was struck by lightning at his side. It was the desire
with God. To please to do the will of God and to be          to find an answer to his question that induced him
able to do it,-that is liberty in the highest sense, nay,    to abandon the study of law and to seek peace within
in the only true sense of the word.                          the walls of the convent in Erfurt. There he found his
   But man has not this freedom. He is, on the con- answer, though he did not at once recognize it. And
trary, in bondage. For he sinned and he is a sinner.         the answer came to him from an old Bible, which he
1He is in. the bondage of condemnation, for he is guilty     found in the convent, locked to a chain and buried
and.is  held under the sentence. of death, and he. knows     under the dust of years. From that volume of Scrip-


 ture the wonderful words came to him and remained
 lodged in his soul: "The just shall live by faith"!                                Hope Perfectly
    It was, however, not until Iater  that the full signifi-                                              I Peter 1: 13.
cance of these words dawned upon him. In fact, only
 on his return from his visit to the seat of Roman hier-            Sounds rather unreal and  impossibIe.
archy did the words strike him in their full force, and             We live in. a world without hope in spite of all the
 were they applied to his heart as an answer to his             promises by leaders and Ieading men. Hope? The
anxious' question. In Rome he had been amazed and whole structure of civilization shakes and the soul of
 shocked by the corruption of the church as it was              man is fil"led  with horror, when he reads his newspaper
represented  by the higher clergy.             Thoroughly dis- or listens to the radio. There is seemingly no end to
satisfied, and pondering all the time upon his spiritual the destruction caused by this second war now fought
 problem, the old words rushed back into his conscious-         in every part of the world and in every sphere of life.
ness, now, however, with all their peace affording Let us forget the years of peace, for they were nothing
 power  : "The `just  shah live by faith". Luther had           less but the preparation of another `war, and prepare
 found peace through the Bible'as the Word of God,              ourselves for the final catastrophe-the end of it all.
applied by the Spirit unto his heart; and, though at `Thus speaks the man of the world.
the moment he  knew it not, God had prepared him at                 Calmly, as always, the Word speaks of hope.
 the same time for the work He had to do for him:                   Hope, because there is an inheritance promised
to liberate the Bible from the bondage of the Church,           and kept in store for you. No, you cannot see ,it now,
 in order that the Church might be called to return but it twill be revealed in the day of Jesus Christ, when
 to the Bible, and through the Bible find liberty!               He returns upon the clouds of heaven. This inherit-
    Another  *way to liberty there is not. For only if. ance is the complete and penfect salvation, promised to
 the Son shall make us free, we shall be free indeed.           those' who are strangers and pilgrims in the world.
 His cross and resurrection are the power to cut the             And as `pilgrims they cannot be without this hope as
 shackles of our condemnation ; by His Spirit He makes long as the ,battle  continues, otherwise they also will
 us free from the dominion of sin. And this liberty is           be swept away by the winds and tempests that rise
 not only proclaimed to us in the Gospel, but given unto         against them.     Their way leads  ;them through the
 us through that ,Gospel. The assurance that our sins            midst of many enemies who try to seduce them from
 are forgiven, `and that we are righteous before God, the life of their pilgrimage and thus deprive them of
 set at liberty, cannot rest on anything less than the          their hope<
 Word of God Himself. And that Word God by the                      Necessary and fitting also with a view to their
 Spirit of Christ speaks to us through the Word. To              present condition. Yes, they possess the life of hope, .
 sweep away the hierarchical powers that would deprive           but they  possess  it only in principle. Besides, the
 the Church and the individual beiiever of that liberty          stranger must pass through many fiery trials and is
 which we have in Christ through the Word,-this is               inclined to lose courage.      Hence, the admonition is
 the great significance of the Reformation !                     closely connected with the life of grace: hope to the
     Let us Iearn`  the lesson. Let us be Reformed, in-          end. Grace it is to hope, because hope is closely as-
 deed, but  Protestant  Reformed always, always zealous- sociated with faith. Faith, the gift of grace,  .is the
 ly defending and jealously watching over the forma1             clinging of the soul to the infallible truth of the Word
* principle of the Reformation. Always the danger is             of God. And hope is  the expectation that all shall be
 lurking that the word of man, be it in the form of ;accomplished.                 Hope therefore, is one of  the. fruits
 ecclesiastical declarations, creeds and confessions, pri-       of faith.
 vate opinions and false doctrines, interposes itself               Live the life of hope, that is, live the life of sanctifi-
 between the Word of God and our faith. This may                 cation. When  *walking in the ways of darkness, the
 never be ! Confessions are  ,good and they `are neces-          pilgrim cannot hope. He is not able to lay hold on
 sary. But never may they be more than means to                  eternal life, nor on the eternal promises. While march-
 bring to us and to tpreserve  for ,us the Word of God.          ing onward the pilgrim must not forget it. There -is
 And always must they be tested by and judged in the             an inheritance in store for him. And the ohjecf; of his
 light of the Word of God as we possess it in the Holy           ho.pe, is, of course, the end of that journey, for, at the
`Scriptures. Then, and only then,  .shall we preserve            end his salvation will be complete- and his joy shall
 the precious heritage God again bestowed upon His               know no bounds.
 Church in the world through: the Reformation of the                However, the way to the end is difficult. Seemingly,
 sixteenth century: the liberty wherewith Christ hnth while here, he is in the midst of all kinds of danger.
 made us free!                                                  There are many enemies and temptations manifold.
                                                     H. H.       Satan, the world and his own flesh form  .a strong
 *  Lecture  delivered on Reformation Day,  J.940                league to give him battle. Does not the prince of dark-
                                                                              *


  348                                     T H E   STANQARD   B E A R E R

  ness employ many means to draw him away from the comfort.                   At the present the children of God are
  object of his hope? Is not the world for evermore strangers and pilgrims. They are the refuse of the
  inviting him and extending its own joy in exchange              world, an easy prey for the contempt of the enemy.
  of the promised salvation? His own flesh rather not As rubbish they are treated and it looks as though it
  fight and oppose the enemy, but drift along with the            will thus remain for ever. They are put to scorn,
  majority: He complains of his infirmities, his waver-           when they testify concerning the things of the other
  ing and doubting. Shall he not give up?                         world,. of which they speak. Besides, althvug-h  object-
         Peter, as a matter of experience more than any           ively the inheritance and complete salvation is in
  of the other Apostles, knew about it and is capable to          Christ Jesus, the Lord Himself is hidden and there-
  admonish. He knew about the sinful self-sufficiency, fore despised in this world. Power and glory, so they
  and, as a result, knew about wavering, fruit of his             confess, but this power and glory are not as yet seen.
  conceit resulting in disappointment.                               Hvpe needs to be hope indeed. The pilgrim must
         Therefore, he exhorts : Hope to the end ! Hope be assured of, the coming of the Lord.  .Let the fact of
  completely.  Hope perfectly. He means to say : Let that coming live in your soul nozu., Peter and the saints
  the life of faith be active. Exercise this hope. Let are fully assured of it. You are not mistaken and
  your soul and mind, your will and desires aspire to the         therefore, do not hesitate to say : He shall be revealed !
  full assurance and perfection of the hope. This is pos-         Boldness?  : Why no, if living by faith you cannot
  sible indeed, as an operation and fruit of the life of          speak any other language.
  regeneration.                                                      Take hold of it!
         Regeneration, a beautiful word.  I It is a new life-a       Hope and live by and out of that one great fact.
  life of heaven- and a life for heaven, a life for the           Be fully assured, stranger, that at the revelation of
  present as well as for the future. That life longs for * Jesus Christ you shall not be ashamed, when he shall
  the  end. Now the question may be asked: Does Peter appear in the fdness  of the brightness of his glory.
  mean  to say, hope until you have reached the` end, or,         You *will be publicly vindicated and even the wicked
  hope now perfectly, completely? The former is, of must acknowledge in that day, your ,Lord ,and you are
  &urse,  also necessary. No one of God's children can glorious indeed.
  do without it until the end is reached. Nevertheless,              Hope to the end or hope perfectly!
  the'emphasis must be placed on the latter: Hope now!               Hope for the revelation of Jesus Christ  I
  To be fully assured and to be able to give battle, de-             ZIope,  because grace shall be brought unto  you.
  mands the completeness of the hope, that should be                 The question is, `what is that grace? (Some read
  attained. Now.         Be  not double-hearted or double-        instead of <grace, joy). Does Peter mean to say: "You
. minded, James admonishes,  a double-hearted man is shall receive grace at the end?" That would make it
  unstable in uEZ of his ways. He is like a floundering rather difficult to understand and it is at the same
  ship without a rudder, hence, without direction, hence,         time inconceivable. The question presents itself, if-
  without making progress.                   .                    grace was to be brought to God's child at the revela-
         Needless to say, that with this expectation in mind tion of Jesus Christ, is the stranger without grace,
  and soul, the affections must be turned away from all           while on his  difficult journey? He finds himself in
  other things. It is impossible to look to heaven and            the midst of a sinful world surrounded by many
t the things of heaven and at the same time to desire             enemies. Can he,  iyithvut grace, fight the spiritual
  and to seek the things here below. The ipleasures of battle? All things are possible, but it is impossible'
  below do not coincide with the treasures above, for             for any man without grace to be a pilgrim and
  they stand  diametricaly  opposed to each other.                stranger in the earth. Just as impossible as to love
         A man cannot hope and look for the revelation of         the Lord. No one can see the Kingdom of God, unless
  Jesus Christ and at the same time cling to the things           God give him grace. Besides, Scripture t.41~ us, "it is
  of the earth. If his hope is fixed upon the things of           given you (by grace) not only to believe, but also to
  the present, his hope is imperfect and shall perish end- suffer for His. sake". Without it no one can nor will
  ing in disappointment, because all that is of below shall be a stranger and a pilgrim. He cannot believe `in nor
  cvme to an end and he will pass away with it. There             suffer for Christ's sake, except when grace is given
  can be only one object  to hope for and that object is him.
  the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Head of His                   Grace it is to believe, to suffer,. to fight, to hope, to
  Church, bringing Iwith him the fulfillment of all that          make sure of salvation, to be a light in the midst of
  is  promised  yvu. Also, with a view to that coming,            dankness, in spite of all the miserable teachings of the
  the promised inheritance is safe now and shall be               free will of man (openly or otherwise). From our
  yours then. Christ and all his benefits shall be, at            side, grace is `unearned goodness and lvvingkindness,
  the same time, the revelation of the sons of God.               ill-deserved,  usward.    Grace it is, when our sins are
  This consideration, to be revealed with him, is full of         forgiven and the principle of the new life, given in


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D  BEAkER                                               349

 regeneration is manifested in conversion. And with- man who moves in an unreal world. Hence, he is not
 out this grace it is impossible to hope, to hope to the      able to render  good judgment. He may  boast and
 end or to hope perfectly.                                    speak much about his knowledge, his strength, but he
     Grace however, is much more. From our point              is not living at the moment a real life. So it is with
 of view, as a personal experience, grace is first of all,    one  w,ho is spiritually drunk. He does not see the
 the forgiveness of our sins. And this of necessity.          things as they truly are. Consequently, he is at a
 I must know whether or not my sins are forgiven.             loss and cannot maintain himself in a crisis. Spir$ual
 If that knowledge is wanting, it will leave one without sobriety is indeed most necessary for the  Ipreservation
i comfort, trust and hope. For without it, sin remains        af grace, that is, he must live out of the lirfe of grace.
 and sin that is not forgiven, means separation from The new life must be predominant, it must rule and
 the living God and there will be no peace. Take away         guide him. It must be his criterion and with it he
 sin and the relation between Gvd and the sinner is           must turn to the Word of God and its promises. He
 restored. Hence, not at the end, but at the beginning must see and know more and more the true relation
 of the journey the pilgrim received grace. And that between the visible and invisible world, between the
 grace at the beginning is  sticient to fight the battle,     things of the earth and the things of heaven, his pil-
 to belong to the party of the  hying God, to be children grimage and the object of his hope. Therefore, he
 of light in the midst of darkness and corruption. That must know the relation between life and death, time
 is God's Word.                                               and eternity and the ultimate  purpvse of it all. In
    But that ,which is received in principle here, shall      pain and trouble, in time of peace and in the days
 be completed and will be a  finished product at the          of persecution he must evaluate all things with a view
 revelation of Jesus Christ.                                  to the end. He niust hope perfectly.
    The same grace at the beginning and at the end.              Girding the loins of the mind !
    Moreover, if we read Scripture carefully, we will            This figurative  language refers to the loose robes
 find that grace is closely connected with glory. In that  tangLe a man's feet. This, to the athletes of the
 fact, grace is the beginning of glory-and  w,hen it shall arena, was such a bother that they laid aside their
[presently be completed it will reveal glory. We find         garments, in order that the race may be won. In
 it often difficult to distinguish between these two.         order that the mind may be concentrated upon the goal
 They are inseparably connected, because when we              set before him, the runner cvuld not be troubled in
 sneak of grace we speak at the same time of glory.           any way by his robe.
    Hence; God's glory is the fullest manifestation of
 His divine, attribute of grace. Thus we somewhat ap-            The pilgrim must not be troubled by the things
 proach the meaning of this word, although we cannot          of this [present world. How often are the trivialities
 comprehend it, nor can we express it adequately, as          vf the present an unsurmountable obstacle to him. He
 to its deepest content.                          "           can .wvrry and be troubled with the things that pass
     Sufiicient  to say, the God of grace is the God of away: His mind becomes befuddled by what is really
 &ace in and for His people. Thus, His grace is His           to his disadvantage.
 beauty, His glory and it shall be yours in the revelation       Let your mind be willing to that it is called to do.
 of Jesus Christ.                                             Be not fooled  by the things that are but for a moment.
    lHope than, have your eyes fixed upon that grace-         Distinguish and judge all things by the Word of God.
 penfectly.                                                      His promises are forever the same.
     This implies, that, while you are delivered from            They shall be  fulflled to the full in the final
 your sins in principle, you shall be delivered of the        promise : For the `grace is tv be brought to you at the
 body of sin and of corruption completely. The Lord           revelation of Jesus Christ.
 does  not stop half-way, but shall finish His own work.         Hope perfectly ! !
 After the end being reached, perfect beauty and glory
 shall be revealed in you and through you. For, while                                                       w. v.      .
 through death the soul is made glorious, at the revela-
 tion of Jesus Christ, both body and soul shall partake
 of it in the day of all glory.,
    Therefore, be sober and gird up the loins of your
 mind.                                                                  Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly dove
     Be sober, or, watch, is the requisite while the
 pilgrim is on his yourney. A man who is not sober,                     With all Thy quickening powers,
 is first of all unable to discern between the true re-                 Come shed abroad a Saviour's love
 lations of life. He is not capable to distinguish be-
 tween right and wrong, because he is like a drunken                    And that shall kindle ours,


  350                                  .THE  STANDARD BEARER
            Dedicatqry Psalm And Song                         arise, it is because we are blinded by nature to see the
                                                              wonders of revelation.
                                                                  David is the type of Christ Jesus, the Lord.
                         (Psalm 30)                                                                               Every-
                                                              thing in salvation is very personal: it all centers
      The superscription of this psalm and song tells us around the wondrous Person of the Son of God. All
  that it was occasioned by the dedication  .of the house.    the labor of His soul, all His grievous suffering and
  There we must put the period. What follows tells us         death, all the terrible battles He had to fight-are the
  who the author of the psalm and song is, namely,            source of our salvation.
  Dmid.                                                          And David might live before and experience before
      Many expositors tell us that this song was com- this labor of Jesus. This is also the reason that the'
  posed by David  ~unto the dedication of the temple. As dedicatory psalm is so intensely personal in its scope.
  such it was proleptical,  that is, it reached forward to       David had gone through a very trying experience.
  the time when Solomon would really and actually do             There was the grave, the pit, the depth ; there was
  what David here does in prospect. As Spurgeon  puts the  anger-of the Lord, weeping and trouble. There
  it: "Glory to Thee for all the grace, I have not tasted ,was a host of enemies that stood beholding. It is the
  yet !"                                                      Golgotha of David in miniature. Or better: it was
      We will deny-that such is possible. It is certain       the Golgotha of Jesus in prophecy.
 that David saw the House of God in prospect, by faith           This psalm is personal and the dedication is per-
 and hope.. It is also certain that he conceived of the       sonal, because it concerns the dwelling of the King of
  necessity  .of dedicating this !future House unto the       Israel. And the house of the King on Mount Zion .is
* service of Jehovah.                                         the prototype of the House vf God with its many
      Still, we are inclined to believe that David com- mansions.
  posed this song for the dedi.cation  of his own house.         David sings this song when his troubles are over
  (II Sam. 5:ll).                                             past.
      The reason for this inclination is the positive lan-       0 Lord, I will extol Thee, because Thou hast lifted
  guage in the supers&&ion  ; also the contents of the        me up ! There you have the key-note of the whole
  psalm itself. It is very personal. As subh it would fit psalm.
  admirably for the dedication of the dwelling where             And the hated enemies shall not be able to rejoice
 the composer would intend to live.                           over David. Many were his enemies. And they hated
      He would have his house dedicated.                      him with cruel hatred. They would have counted it
      A strange derivation has that  ,word. Initially, it     blessedness to see David engulfed in the spit to rise
  meant to"stuff  something unto the choking, straighten- no more. It seems that David suffered from a bodily
  ing, closing of something.                                  disease so that he cou1.d  not take possession of the
      Still, the meaning is clear. And also beautiful.        house that was built for him at Jerusalem. Already
      It meant that the people who.  dedicated a house, or the enemy rejoiced, but their joy was premature.
  later, the temple, would serve and sing and pray and           From out of the depth of suffering and trouble,
  petition the Lord to come and fill the dwelling or          David had called upon the name of the Lord.  ,He had
 temple, so that it was entirely full of the presence of wept in the ni*ght-season. An echo of that agonizing
  the Lord. The Arabians (used the word for to wider- cry we have in the 10th verse: Hear, 0 Lord, and have
  stand, that is, to be filled with the  ;knowledge  of a     mercy `upon me : Lord, be Thou my helper.
  thing.                                                         Sinful David had trusted in the strength of his
      At first flush, the content of the psalm does not       mountain. God had helped him to get the  ascendency
  seem to fit the exalted  punpose.     It seems a very over the enemy and he was victorious throughout.
  strange dedicatory hymn. In it David speaks of the Then he had forgotten.                                       .
  healing of his body, the snare into which he had fallen,       But God is God .and twill not be forgotten by .%is
  the terror of God's absence and the gladness of the creature.
  Lord's return unto him. He speaks of  *weeping  at             He hid His face-and David was troubled. God
  night and joy in the morning. He  Iauds the wonders hid His face and David's miseries multiplied. The
  of God's salvation wherein His anger is  ,but for  a evening found him weeping. and spent. And  so he
  moment, but where there is .life in His favor. It all       went into the long night of darkness and suffering.
  seems so narrow and personal. Inasmuch as the dedi- It was for him as if he descended into a pit. The grave
  cation of David's house would be a public affair, we        seemed to open her mouth in order to swallow him up
  are inclined to ask: Why not be a little more general, so that he would rise no more. And from the depths
 all-embracive, catholic in your dedicatory psalm, David ! he had cried unto his God: What profit is there in my'
      As soon as we think such thoughts we are also blood? Shall the dust praise Thee, 0' Lord? Shall it
  sorry for them. It is not seemly. If those thoughts declare Thy truth?


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         3 5 1

    David realized that this darkness, this pit, that and tears. Oh, who shall be able to fathom the  suffer-
grave were all  `a revelation of the wrath of God's love.     ing of David fulfilled, and that is Jesus? The yawn-
God had something better in store for David. But kg pit and the open grave did close over His defence-
he must walk in the. way of life . He may not sin.            less head. And out of the pit came the groaning of the
He must cease to be proud. Therefore the chastising Son of God. All the while the enemies stood behoId-                           I
hand of God had gone out against him.                        2%.      They stuck out the lip and said : There is no help
    But note that David had a very strong plea with           for Him with God ! Where is Thy God, 0 Jesus of
the  God'of His salvation. He wanted to praise God. Nazareth?.!
There you have the secret of the great power that                   David told us of God's anger that endured. but for
God's people have nwith  their Father in heaven, Shall a moment. That moment became pregnant with wrath
the dust praise Thee, 0 Lord? In that question David  .that was eternal. , Eternal  death.              Shall  t h e   d u s t
reveals the deepest motive of his big heart. He wants , `praise Thee, 0 my ,Lord.and  my God 1 Why hast Thou
to praise, God.                                              *forsaken'Me?
    And God heard.                                                  And here is thervidory  of Jesus; my Lord : In the
    Attend to this : God turned his mourning into danc-       very depth of the pit He loved God and. wanted to
ing; He took off. his sackcloth and girded him with           praise. Him. He insisted in praising, God from out
gladness. Beauty  for ashes!                                 of the yawning  ,gulf of  eterna1'  death and` misery.
   And the purpose is theological : to the end that my        He loved God. for the very virtues of righteousness.
glory may sing praise to Thee and not be silent! There and holiness which burned Him, in untold suffering of
you have theend  of God's people. for evermore.               hellish torment..
    My glory unto Thy praise!                                       That is His victory.  -  ,e
    My glory.is the sum total of all the blessings that             And He arose. For God had lifted~Him,:up.
God bestows  ~ upon me. And all these blessings make                Henceforth the better David lives to the end that
my life glorious, `that is, I will shine of goodness and      His.. glory may sing praise to the Father, blessed for-
grace; of power and might that is spiritual.                  ever! , Such is the eternal life of Jesus Christ the                     '
   And all that power and goodness, grace and might Lord.                 i
are given me but for one solitary purpose: I must                   Do you now understand why this psalm and: song.
return with them to the Fountain of all such beauties ;       is to the  .dedication  of the House of the King? Proper-
1 must be to the praise of my God forever!                    Iy; it. is Golgotha and the ,morning in Joseph's ,gar-
    David had learned his lesson. Listen to the very den.
beginning of his psalm and song : I will extol Thee, 0              Watch : Do you not see the Lord Jesus revealing
Lord'!        `:                                              His way to the heart of God 1 i
   To extol  is to lift up on high. It means that you               Listen to Him in verse 4 of this psalm ; He is
wiI1 enumerate all the virtues of your God. You will - speaking to you, my brother: Sing unto the Lord, 0
count them one by one and evaluate them  aright.              ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance
From  ElORlblg  till night. YOU Will lcahlOgUe  d. the  of His holiness  1           _
wonderful praises of your Maker!                                    Henceforth that will be your life on earth and in
  . Moreover, you will turn to the right 2 and to the         the heavens above. Your glory  shah be to the end
left in the midst of the  chur& of God and you will that .you may praise Him forever.
do all in your power to make these beauties known..
Listen to David in verse 4: Sing unto the Lord, 0 ye                Oh, when shall we learn to perfection that all
saints of His, and give thanks at the rememberance            our happiness is in the service of the Ring Supreme?
of His holiness ! You will know that your way runs                                                            G. V.
parahel  with the ways of all God's peopIe  ; you know
that aIs0 they are inclined to forget the Rook of their
salvation. Therefore you will stand at the crossroads
and you will point forever to the great Source of all                              ANNOUNCEMENT
glory: the blessed Triune Jehovah who keepeth truth
forever !                                                       Young men seeking admission into our Theological
Yes, the end of your dedicatory prayer will be:               School are requested to appear before the  Theoiogical
I will give thanks unto Thee forever! My Lord and             School Committee at their next meeting, May 19,
my God!                                                       1941, in the Fuller Ave. Church parlors. Aspirants
   All this is fulfilled in Jesus.    .                       must have in their possession a certificate of member-
   For Him there was the night that was eternal and ship and recommendation from their consistory  and
the weeping endured for that awful night. Hebrews also a certificate of heaIth  from a reputed physician.
tells us that He went to His God with strong crying                                               C. Hanko, S&y. ,.


     364                                         THE  STANbAltD  BEAREa
         En Gods volk zal hij. leeren.
         Luistert,  ,gij  Godsgezinden  ! David spreekt !              , Miriam And Aaron's Revolt Against
         Hebt den Heere lief !                                                                 Moses
         Geliefden ! Daarin ligt alles. Hebt Hem lief,. loopt
     Hem achterna den ganschen lieven  dag-en het zal                     We read,, "And Miriam and Aaron spake against
     .wel  zijn,  Debt Hem lief en Hij behoedt U ten dage
     der bezoeking, wanneer de hoogmoedigen Uwe tent .Moses  because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had
     naderen.  Hebt Hem lief,  *want Hij behoedt U tot in              married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman."
     eeuwigheid.                                                          The name of the woman is not revealed. Who
         Zijt sterk en Hij zal Uw hart verstenken, gij allen           might she have been? Calvin was addicted to the
     die op den Heere hoopt.                                          view that she was none other than Zipporahe'  view
         Ja, het is waar, ge zult nog we1 een paar maal snik-         which he founded upon the foliowing  consideration.
     ken-de strijd was dan  oak hevig; de duivel, de wereld, ."She had been brought back by her father, Jethro,
-de inwonende boosheid-ze  zijn  allen  gruwelijke en only a little while, before the delivery of the law, so
     harde vijanden. Geen nood echter  : ge zijt veilig in de that at that time she was still alive. Nothing is,,said
     Carmen  Gods. Van onderen eeuwige  armen  !                      of her death, so that it must be assumed that she had
         `t Zit alles vast op de vervulling van  ,dezen  psalm,       not died. If, therefore, this Ethiopian woman was one
%oen  Jezus het moegestreden en  moegeschreide  hart other than Zipporah, Mos_eg%must  be  Icharged  with the
     neervleide in"s'Vaders armen en zeide  aan `t,einde  van         reproach of polygomy. Besides, as an octogenarian,
brullen  en klagen in eeuwigen ntiht: In Uwe handen,                  he would have been but little suited for a second mar-
Vader, beveel Ik Mijnen gee&!                                         riage. Such a marriage would not have, been .prac-
         En dat moogt & Hem nabidden, mijn broeder ?                  ticable  in the desert. Finally, the Ethiopians (in the
         Hier denk ik aan den eenqoud  van kleine kinderen. original text the woman is called a Gush+) and the
IEn ocik aan,Jezus'  woord. Hebt ge we1 eens  kleine  kin- Medianites were "the same people, so that the woman's
     deren  hooren  bidden?. Ge moet  eens   luisteren,  want being &led an Ethiopian does not militate against the
     het is heilzaam..                                                view that she was Zipporah."            "
     1 Luistert, de kleine bidt. `t Is  avond geworden.
     "Zoo.leg ik mijn hoofdje neer, opdat'morgen  bij `4 ont-             These arguments are not conclusive. If the Ethio-
     waken.  .";  .."                                                 pian was Zipporah, it would have `to be regarded
        +Groote,  sterke,  f&me man! Hebt  ,ge Uw les  `ge- as strange that she is referred to in  Scripture merely
.leerd?  Wanneer aullen we dan eens klein worden  bij                 as the "Ethiopian woman". Then, the marital union
     God die groot is?                                                of Moses and Zipporah was one of long standing; and
                                                                      Zipporah  was the mother of Moses two sons. It must
'       Vertrouw op Hem; Hij  zal U versteken in  Zijn                therefore be considered most strange and  unhkely  that
hut.                                                                  ,Miriam, so long a time after, would criticize Moses
        Voorts : hebt IHem lief, o volk !                             for his having married Zipporah. So the  con&n&xi
I                                                          <G. V.     to which we are driven is that Zipporah had died, that
                                                                      .the "Ethiopian" was one other than her and that  ,@.rs
                                                                      Moses had married for the second time.
                                --                                       `Why did Miriam object to the Ethiopian woman?
                                                                      Her .reason was "the woman's being an Ethiapian."
                                                                      The.  sacred narrator makes this plain, "And Miriam
                            I N   MtiMORIAM                           . . . .spake  against Moses. . . . ; for he had  married
                                                                      an Ethiopian woman". Just why did Miriam (and
        The consistory of the Roosevelt Park Protestant Reformed      Aaron) disapprove of the woman and on her acdount
Church of Grand Rapids hereby wishes to express its heartfelt         speak against Moses? The sacred narrator. does not
sympathy with our brother deacon  R. Doornbush in the loss            go into `details. However, the brief statement, "For
of his father,                                                        she was an Ethiopian" makes it plain that all that
                          M r .   5.  DOORNBUSH       .               Miriam could possibly hold against the woman was
                                                                      her being an Ethiopian, that is, a foreigner, a stranger,
        May our covenant God comfort the bereaved brother and         one not of Miriam's race, thus a non-Israelite. And
`his family and console them  with the comfort of the Holy Spirit.    the statement, "And Miriam spake against Moses on
                           The Co&story  of .the. Roosevelt Park      account of. the Ethiopian woman, "interpreted in the
                           Protestant. Reformed' Church.  I           light of the statement immediately following, "for he
                                  Marinus  Schipper,,  Pres.          had married an Ethiopian woman," tells us that
                                  Peter Dykema, Clerk.                iV&riqn took Moses seuerely   to  task solely on account


                                    THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R .                                         355

of his having married one who was an Ethiopian, pos-       fellowship on a high spiritual plane, a truly lovely
sibly a negress.                                           person. The result was that after his marriage with
   Miriam did wrong, certainly in disapproving of the this woman, heleaned more and more upon her and
woman just because  she was an Ethiopian. For the          less upon Miriam and Aaron. It was in her that he
woman was, must have been, a God-fearing person,           was now wont to confide. Thus the woman had come
thus a true daughter of Abraham, though a foreigner to stand between him and Miriam . This was perhaps
-one who had said, "Thy people shall be my people,         more than she could endure.
and thy God shall be my God." If not, Moses would             Now it must not be supposed that in admonishing
not have married her. In <the old dispensation, the and rebuking Moses, Miriam revealed to him the real
Jews were not God's people, but God's  Ipeople were reasons of her chagrin. Perhaps she wasn't aware of
Jews and not only Jews but also Moabites and Ethio- them herself. There need be no doubt that she assailed
pians, the  Ruths  and the  Bahabs,  in short, as many of Moses with a very pious-sounding argument. She may
the surrounding nations as it pleased.the  Lord to trans- have chided him in this vein, "Moses, thy doing is evil
port out of the darkness of heathendom into the light      in the eyes of Jehovah. What was the result of the
of His kingdom. Though there is no ground in Scrip- sons of God taking them wives of all (which  they chose?
ture for saying that their number was large, yet they The wickedness of man became great in the earth.
were there. And the law even made. provision for           Consider our father Abraham, I implore thee. Bid he
them.    If a stranger would keep' the Passover, he not make his servant swear ,by the Lord that he should
might, provided he and all his men-child,ren  be circum- ,not take a wife to Isaac of the daughters of the
cised. Having received this sign in his flesh, he might Canaanites? And thou hast taken a wife to thy self
come near and keep it. And he should be as one that of the daughters of the Ethiopians . Shame on thee.
was born in the land' (Ex: 12 :48). The coming to the Art thou not at this very juncture in the name  of
light on the part of these "strangers" was predictive      Jehovah forbidding the people of Israel, when they
of the calling of the gentiles and thus an affirmation shall come into the promised land, to  Imake  marriages
of the word of God to Abraham that in him would all `with the heathen  races  infesting that land? Yet thy-
the families of the earth be blessed. It was not wrong self hath married this Ethiopian? Thou destroyest
for an Israelite to marry an converted gentile. Why by thy example the good effect of thy words. Put
then did Miriam object to Moses' marrying the Ethio-       the woman from thee  !" So she may have apoken to
cpian? ,Simply  because the woman was an Ethiopian,        him. And in giving expression  ;to her chagrin, she
was thus a woman without  .standing with Miriam. may  ,have imagined that she was being driven by
To think that Moses should have selected that negress the purest motives and that she  spake even by divine
(a negress she may have been) ifor his wife. It was        inspiration, that thus her words of reproof had been
racial pride that had pitted Miriam against the woman.     put into her mouth by the Lord. Said she not to
The spirit evinced by Miriam was like unto that which      Moses, "Hath He (the Lord) not spoken also by us?"
the Baptist found it necessary to rebuke, when he said Yet, what drove her was .pride and envy. This she
to the multitude,, "Bring forth therefore fruits worthy herself, to be sure, would have-denied. She would have
of `repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves,    insisted that she was being moved solely by religious
We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you,         considerations. And so it undoubtedly seemed to her
That God is able of these stones to raise up children at this juncture. She was too perturbed at the moment
unto Abrahaml`. (Luke 3 53)                                to perceive that her motives were sordid. Such per-
   But it may not have been merely her racial and          ception is the  fruitage  only of calm reflection.
family pride. Miriam was truly a prophetess. But              Miriam was a good. woman-good in the  tr,ue sense.
her position in the church was far. inferior to that of    She loved fervently Jehovah, His peaple and His cause.
Moses. He enjoyed prerogatives that she and Aaron          Being the kind of woman she was, she detested pride
did not have. Was this also perhaps one of her funda- and envy also in herself. But here she was picking a
mental grievances?. Was she envious of her brother         violent quarrel with her brother, because the good
and was she more or less unconsciously, without being woman he had married was not one of her race and all
fuiiy aware of it using his having married the Ethio-      the while mistaking her sinful `excitement for pure
gian merely as a pretext, as a screen to hide the          zeal of God's house and her carnal words of rebuke
real reasons of her perturbance? It may be. And            to Moses  lfor  a  message straight from the Throne.
perhaps she was also envious of the Ethiopian woman.       "The heart is deceitful more- than any  thi,ng.  Who
There must have been a strong bond of sympathy be-         shall know it?"
tween Moses and this woman. This accounts for his             But would it not have been wiser for Moses to have
having married her after  Zipporah's   decease. She was    married a woman of his own people? On what ground
to him a real helpmeet, so we may imagine, the true        would it have been wiser, if the Ethiopian feared the
mate of his soul, a woman with whom .he could have         Lord? And it must  be assume'd that she did, that she


                                         T H E   STANDAR.D   B E A R E R

     was a woman of exceptional moral worth, a;sister  in seethes  hicm that the life of both of them be spared.
     the Lord to Moses.  -, Should Moses then  have permitted "Alas, my Lord," he  waiis, "I beseech thee, lay not the
     himself to be deterred by Miriam's false raeis1 pride    sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and
     and by her envy? Perhaps one of the reasons Moses wherein we have sinned. Let her not be as one dead,
     married the Ethiopian was to rebuke this pride and to    of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out
     shew her `and his brethren in general that what had of his mother's womb."
     weight with ,God  is not a man's being a Jew, but a          It is plain that a terrible sin-one of the first
     man's true goodness. But Miriam persisted in de- magnitude-had been committed by both of them. But
     nouncing the marriage. And the longer Moses held         Miriam had greater sin, as she was the instigator of
     out against her, insisting that he had done well, the
m                                                             the unholy opposition to Moses. Aaron, in his weak-
     more vehement she became. Assuredly he ought to see ness, had allowed himself to be prevailed upon by his
     and admit that he had done wrong. Why would he sister. What was their sin? The expression of it was
     not be advised by her? Why was he esteeming `her precisely their saying to Moses, "Hath the Lord indeed
     counsel for nought? Was he necessarily right and spoken only by Moses? Hath he not spoken only by
     she wrong? If so, on what ground? On the ground           us?"
     that the Lord spoke only by him? If he thought so,           There can be no doubt that what brought these
     he was deiuding  himself. She and Aaron were persons words over Miriam's lips was her feverish .desire to
     to be reckoned with-as well ashe. Their words had as     induce Moses to heed her counsel and put away the
     much *weight as his. Was `not the Lord speaking by woman. The sacred narrator tells us as much when he
     them also as well as by him? In the exact  words of      says, *`And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses
     Scripture, "Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by because of the Ethiopian  womun  whom he had mar-
     Moses? Hath he not spoken also by us?" "Have a ried."             There was then a : real connection between
     care Miriam.    Consider that thou speakest` against Moses' having married  the?Ethiopian"  and Miriam's
     Moses, and that the Lord listeneth. Bridle therefore     saying to him t,hat she and Aaron as well as he were
     thy tongue. For in thy present mood thou mayest so persons by whom God spake. Now if there was a real
     easily offend by thy speech." The warning comes          connection, it must be that the reason Miriam said
     too late.  IHer saying to Moses, "Hath the Lord indeed to Moses what she said is that she wanted him to
     spoken only by Mosen. . . ." is sinful. And the Lord     understand that she and Aaron were his equals in  order
     hears it. And His anger is kindled. She had gone too that as so understanding he would not allow his being
     far, said' too much. Suddenly the Lord speaks-to a prophet of God to stand in his way of. heeding their
     Moses, to Aaron, and to Miriam. "Come out, ye three, counsel. It need not be supposed then that the reason
     to the tabernacle of the congregation." And the three she spake against Moses is that, as enraged by his
     came out. The Lord now comes down in the pillar of doing, she was  consciousiy  `bent on wounding his soul
     cloud. Standing in the door of the tabernacle, He or undermining his authority or dislodging `him in
     orders Aaron and Miriam to come forth and to stand his  exaIted  position in  .the church. To suppose this
     at, attention. trembling, they obey. The Lord again      is to be driven to the conciusion  that Miriam was an
     speaks. Hear now my words," He is heard saying to unprincipled woman, deliberately and knowingly mean,
     them, "if there be a rprophet  among you, I the Lord mahcious  and vindictive. Now this certainly she was
     will, make myself known to him in a vision, and will not. Her speaking against Moses was representative
     speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not of an effort on her part to compel him to listen to her
     so, who is faithful in all my house. With him will I and Aaron.
     speak mouth to mouth, even clearly, and not in dark          Not having spoken with the conscious and deliber-
     speeches; and also the similitude of the Lord will he    ate  purpose of assaiiing  Moses' position in the church,
     behold: wherefore then ,were  ye not afraid to speak the life of Miriam was spared. Instead of being
     against my servant Moses?"                               destroyed she was deeply humbled through her momen-
        So the Lord speaks. His anger is kindIed  against tarily being smitten with leprosy. But  this'was not
     the two of them, so mnch so that "he departed". Mark the  ,end of the matter,       In response to Moses' cry,
     you, the Lord departed, that is, He forsook, withdrew "sHea  her now, 0 God, I beseech thee," the Lord re-
     from, the tabernacle and thus also from the entire con- plied, "If her father had spit in her face, should she
     gregation. In token of His departure, "the cloud de-     not be ashamed for seven days? Let her be put o.ut
     parted from off the tabernacle." And behold-"Miriam      from the  camp seven days, and after that  let her
     leprous-as snow  !" She is terrified. It cannot be.      be received again." So had she, for this Iength of time
     Let Aaron examine her skin and pronounce her clean.      to be banished from the presence of God and His
     So Aaron "looked upon Miriam, and behold, she lvas       people, that in her solitude she might reflect upon her
     leprous." Seeing, he, too, is, afraid and crestfallen. doing, come to realize her sin, repent of it and be for-
     He admits his and Miriam's guift to Moses and be-        given and healed. She was brought, therefore, out


                                    THE'STANDARD   B E A R E R                                                           367

of the camp, with the token of her sin upon her body.       again held by none other. The Lord makes this plain
"And the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought to Miriam by naming Moses' singular prerogatives.
in again."                                                  To all the other (prophets the Lord communicates the
   But just what was Miriam' and Aaron's sin? Her thoughts of His heart in a vision and in a dream and
saying to Moses, "Hath the Lord indeed spoken only          by dark speeches; but with His servant Moses, who is
by Moses? Hath He not -spoken also by us?" But              faithful in all His house,  IHe will speak mouth to
why should this language have so dispieased  the Lord? mouth, even clearly and not in dark speeches. And
Had not Miriam spoken the truth? She is called a pro- Moses in distinction from all the others will ,behoId the
phetess at Exodus 15 20, "And Miriam the prophetess,        similitude of the Lord.
the sister of Aaron. . .  ." The sacred narrator goes          By the similitude of the Lord is to be understood
on to say that Miriam with timbrels and with dances,        not God's essence but a revelation of His virtues,
-answered them thus, "Sing ye to the Lord, for He           glories so superior,' so remarkably clear as to be en-
hath triumphed gloriously; for the horse and the            titled to the name  likeness.  Moses saw so much of
rider hath he thrown into the sea." The Lord was            Christ's God and of Christ-of His love, mercy and
speaking by her, when she gave utterance to this song;      compassion-through the law that  `was communicated
And as to Aaron, upon his heart was the Urim and            to him, that, on one occasion, the skin of his face
the Thummim. But it is plain from the' language by          shone with  a heavenly light--the light that was the
which the Lord  vindilcated  His servant Moses, that the radiance of a great gladness that was flooding his soul.
real issue that Miriam had raised, through her' saying He had been with God on the mountain. He had seen
to Moses what she said is not whether she and Aaron         God's 
were prophets by whom the ,Lord was also occasionally                 likeness., The Lord had made all His goodness
                                                            pass before him and had proclaimed to him the name
speaking, but whether as prophets they ranked with ti the Lord, "The Lord God, merciful and gracious,
Moses, or otherwise said, whether Moses as a prophet longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth, keep-
stood on their level. And the implication of the lan-       ing mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and trans-
guage employed by Miriam was that he did.  `. The           gressions and sin, and that will by no means clear
thrust of her speech. was that there was `as much           the guilty; visiting the iniquities of the father upon
reason for Moses to submit to her (and- Aaron) as           the children, and `upon the children's children, unto
lfor her to submit to Moses. Now this could be truk         the third and fourth generation." So the Lord had
only on the ground that as prophets the three of- them spoken. And Moses had made haste and bowed his
were of equal rank. This being her contention, she          head toward the ground and worshipped. He had
unwittingly, we like to think, in the realm of thought,     seen the li'keness of God and had spoken with Him
actually unseated Moses in his exalted position of mouth to mouth. Such were his high privileges. For
mediator of the Old Dispensation, and drew  him'down        he was faithful in all God's house.
to her own level-thus to the level of ordinary pro-
phet. She thus had spoken  against  Moses, uttered             In connection with his being spoken against by
words derogatory to his singular position in the church,    Miriam and Aaron, the sacred narrator remarks that
his unique offic&+he office of Israel's law-giver-and       "the man Moses was very meek, above all men which
this he was instr;umentally-and  thus of founder and        were on the face of the earth." Meekness and great-
builder of the Old Testament typical economy; house         ness went hand in hand in Moses remarkably well.
of God. If what Miriam by implication had asserted The consideration of his high office, of his qualihca-
were true, if Moses were but an ordinary Iprophet, then tions for that office, and of `the Ij'rivileges  that went
he was no such builder; and if not, then the law came       with it, did not go to his head, so that he became an
not by but from him and the patterns of the institu-        impossible person to live and to deal with.
tions which he founded had originated in his mind and          Meekness is the opposite of sinful pride. It is the
not in God's, then, finally,  the house of God was not      will on the part of the believer_to,  consider that he
God's but Moses'. Miriam, it is plain,  ,had uttered        is saved by grace, that thus he .is not his own' but
words frought with possibilities* incalculably danger-      God's workmanship, created  u&to good works in Christ.
ous. She had inaugurated a revolt against Moses and         Meekness in practice  is  for one to  Iwalk by God's mercy
God anticipating that of Korah and his company. She         in Christ's footsteps in respe@  to injuries done to his
was therefore deserving of the sternest rebuke. And         person. Moses did so. Miriam and' Aaron' despitefully
this she also received.                                     used mm on account of the `Ethiopian woman, whom'he
   In setting Miriam straight, the Lord directed her        had married. But' `Moses  revned   .and threatened not
attention to precisely the one thing about Moses of         again. Instead he prayed `for them. His marrying the
which she was  .unmindful, namely, that among all the       Ethiopian must `also be regarded as a manif&.ation
prophets of God, Christ excepted, he had no equal,          of the meekness of the man.       `.  I,  I_
                                                                                              a
that thus the position he occupied in the church was                                         f .            G.  M. 6.


     358                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARE.R
                                                                    a certain practice or element in the worship of the
                        Why `Not Tithe?                             Old Testament church was symbolical-typical, really
                                                                    has nothing to do with its having been or not having
            So reads the caption of an editorial appearing in       been existent since earliest times and that therefore
     The Banner for April 11. Writes the author of this             this first argument of the reverend falls to the ground.
     article {the Rev. H. 3. Kuiper) :                              The argument proceeds on the false foundation that
            "A number of reasons can be  adva.nced  why Chris- before the coming of the law  ,by Moses there were no
     tians do well to practice tithing. We invite our readers ce@nonial  laws and no symbolical-typical worship.
     to give special consideration to the following argu-           33% there was. The worship of the patriarchs was,
     ments in favor of this time-honored ,method  ,of con- ad  We11  as that  of the people of Israel,  symbolical-
     tribution to the needs of the kingdom of God."                 typical. Their sacrifices  iby blood were  svmbolicaI-
            Let us pause here.                                      typical, were `they not? Circumcision was likewise a
            I am a faithfui reader of The Banner. So the invi- svmbolicaI4ypical  institution, and the command of
     tation comes also to me. And I accept. I have: given           God to Abraham, "circumcise  al1 the males in thv
     special consideration to the reverend's arguments in house", a ceremonial law. The view that the svmbolical-
     favor of tithing. The brother will bear with me,  cer-         typical dispensation began with Moses is false. The
     .,tainly,  in my saying that I have some d&cufty with worship  df the people of Israel was but an expansion
     these arguments of his. He will not object to  ,my of the worship of  ;the patriarchs. And the same must
     using our magazine to reveal these difficulties' to  hi+ be said of the law of Moses. It was an expansion of
     tfor him to remove. Let us then turn to these argu: `ceremonial  laws already possessed by the church.
     ments of which there ,are six in all.                          . This first argument, as to its phrasing, is ,ambigu-
            `&gument  1. Tithing was practiced &@e the earli-       dds. "A-ttend %o %he~st&ement, "Though the people of
     est times, even in the day  qf the patriarchs. Abraham         Israel were. required to bring their tithes unto the
     and Jacob were tithers. Though the people of Israel- Lord's storehouse, it should not be regarded as a
     were required to  ,bring their tithes,  into the  Lordye       ceremonial law the significance of which ceased with
     storehouse, it should not be regarded  as a  ceremoni,al       the `sacrifice of Christ upon the cross." This state-
     law the significance of which ceased. with the ++rifi$e        ment may mean, "It (tithing) was a ceremonial law
     of ,Christ upon the cross. Setting aside one tenth of indeed, but it Was not .a ceremonial Iaw, the signifi-
     our income for the ;Lord  is not a purely  ,ceremonial         cance of which ceased with the death of Christ."
     observance any more than setting aside one day out of Interpreting the statement in question in the light of
     seven for the worship-of  &d."   "                             the one immediately following it, we would say that this
            My Difficulty.  The  term  ceremoni+l   * appears       is the thought which it conveys. The statement im-
     in the above excerpt. Now it was the  cergmonial  law          mediately following reads,  `%stting  aside one tenth of
      that, as executed, resulted in the appedance of the our income for the Lord is not  pureIy a ceremonial
     symbolicai-typical  worship and institutions of the Old observance any more than setting aside one day out
      Testament.  tHe&e,  the two terms "ceremonial law" of seven for the worship of God." Here it is asserted
     and "symbolircal-@@al worship and institutions" sig- in, unequivocal language that setting aside one tenth
      nify the same entity: Let us then'$pe&  of the symbol+-       of our income for the Lord and setting aside one day
      caUypica&   worship   ,dnd  instiCflti$tts   instead of  the aut of seven for worshb is, though not purely so. a
      cereritonial  ZuW of the Old `Testament'. No.*  the rev- ceremonial observance, law, practice, that thus the
      erend's argument,. "Tithing, whereas  It was practiced giving of tithes and the  Sabba2.h which we now hallow
      since earliest times,, long' before the coming'  of the  l&w are at least in part symbolical-typical institutions.
      by Moses, is not to bs.r&arded as a sy-n%%al-typical          But Scripture teaches me that the symbolical-typical
      institution that waxed old and `vanished,away  "Nit& the Sabbath of the Old Testament was, together with all
      sacrifice. of Christ on thtk'dross, Hence, th$:vew  Testa- the symbolical-typical institutions of the Old Testa-
      ment believersshould still tithe'?, Now if %&is rea.son-       ment, -completely  abohshed  and that the Sabbath we
      ing were true, could wenot with equal pro&&y con-              now. hallow is the true rest, the rest eternal,  that
      Flude. that  the sacrifice  .by (animal) blood,, w&teas it     Christ entered with His people and which this people
      was brought by the church since  `$?$@st time&  .CAbel         by God's mercy begin in this life. And in setting aside
      brought this sacrifice) long before the+ming  i`&I,%he one of seven days, the New Testament believers satisfy
      ctiraonial  .I= by Mo,sq `was n&, a sy~~~li~$$!@,~            the reouirements  not of a ceremonial law but of the
      institution, that vanished away with the death  and' r+        laws of the Decabgue.
      surrection  of Christ,&nd  th& therefore'the  New T&&a-           But the  noint is that, according to the latter state-
      ment believers shou)d  still be bringing this $acrifice.       ment, the church is still observing ceremonial  laws and
      But no person of reformed -persuasion ~6% say this. engaging in practices that are symbolical-typical, so
      Are we then not driven to the conclusion that, whether that, when interpreted in the light of this-latter' state-

1                            I


                                       T H E   STANDAR'D,BEAR.ER                                                       359

ment, the thought conveyed by the former statement there is nowhere in the New Testament a command to
(the statement, that tithing should not be regarded baptize infants of believers" (Argument 3). Tithing
as a ceremonial law the significance of which has was practiced . . .  .even by the  .patriarchs"  (Argu-
ceased) must be, "Tithing was a ceremonial law in-              ment 1).
deed, but it was not a ceremonial law the significance            What is the teaching here set forth? Verily this:
of which ceased with the death of Christ. Hence, it             "Tithing in Israel `was not a ceremonial law but simply I
must still be observed.       New Testament believers a custom or usage that had originated with the patri-
should still give `tithes;" So then, the reverend dis- archs. But it was a custom that was sanctioned (not
tinguishes between ceremonial laws, the significance commanded) by God and endorsed by Christ. There-
of'lwhich ceased with Christ's sacrifice on the cross,          fore it is still valid. It was not a ceremonial law. In
and ceremonial laws, the significance of which did not fact  *it was no law at all of any kind. This follows
cease with His death, and that therefore are still  bind-       from the following circumstance: 1) It `was a'custom
ing. Now it is something new to me that there are that arose with the ,patriarchs  (statement contained
ceremonial laws still binding, typical-symbolical insti- in Argument 1)  : 2) It was sanctioned by God and
tution that did not wax oId and vanish away. with the thus `not commanded ; 3) It was endorsed by Christ
death of Christ. Have we not to do here with a and thus not commanded ; ) 4 God "expects His people
teaching that smacks of Judaism-that heresy treated, to give at least one tenth of their income," ,but He does
exposed and so vigorously denounced in the epistles to not command it (teaching of Argument 4) ; the' New
the Hebrews and to the Galatians? Verily we have.               Testament church should not make tithing a law for its
   .However,  if interpreted in the light of still other members but simply recommend it. (Statement found
passages of the reverend's article, the thought conveyed in Argument 4). Such is the teaching.
by the statement," Tithing should not be regarded                  Let us examine some of the propositions in the
as a ceremonial law, the significance of which ceased,"         light of Scripture. 1. Tithing was no law at all in
may also be this, "All the ceremonial laws of the Old           Israel. It was simply a custom, a method of giving,
Testament waxed old and vanished away. Thus their that had originated with the patriarchs and was later
significance ceased, so that they are no longer binding sanctioned by God. Is this true? It is not true. Tith-
on New Testament believers. Tithing, however, was               ing  was a law in Israel. The Lord  did command it
no ceremonial law, in fact it was no law at all, but            by Moses. "And all the tithes of the land. . . . is holy
merely a custom,  pra&ice,  usage, that originated per- unto the Lord. . . . And concerning the tithe of the
haps with the patriarchs, was later on sanctioned by herd, or of the flock. . . . the tenth' shall be holy unto
the Lord-sanctioned, not commanded-and finally the Lord. . . .`* . `These are the commandments  which
endorsed by Christ. Hence, whereas tithing was no               the Lord commanded  -Moses  for the children  ofIsrael
ceremonial law and in fact `was no law at all of any in Mount Sinai" (Lev. 27  :330-34).  This statement is
kind but simply a good usage that originated with the to tke elect that the people of Israel .were commanded
patriarchs, it follows that its significance did not cease.     to give tithes, -that thus tithing was a law, in Israel.
And the conclusive proof. that its significance did             The. position that the Lord, in saying to, His people,
not cease is: 1) It was never directly or indirectly re-        "All the tithes of the land are holy to the -Lord,." was
sealed ; 2) It was sanctioned by God ; 3) It was  finally merely   -sanctioning,  endorsing, a time-h&nor& custom
endorsed by Christ."                                            with the  intention'of.  leaving. it, to His people to give
   This is the teaching that the statement in question, or not to give tithes as`they  should choose-this posi-
yields, if it be interpreted in the  I.ight of certain other    tion is a rather precarious one. What is there to
statements of the reverend's article, namely, the fol- prevent one, holding it, from consigning all the corn-
lowing, "It (tithing) has divine sanction, at least. mands of God to the c*ategory  of mere endorsements?
We do not believe that the New Testament church                    2. Tithing was a  ceremonid   law  fin Israel. The
should make tithing a law for its members" (A&I-                reverend denies this. But it can be proved that tith-
ment 4 of the article).      "Tithing was endorsed by ing was a ceremonial law, a symbolical-typical institu-
Christ" (argument 2). "If it be remarked that no- tion, "When thou ha& made an ,end of tithing all the
where in the New Testament do we find a command to tithes of thine increase the third year, . . . Then thou
give tithes, we answer: this does not at all prove that shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought
God no longer expects His people to give at least one away the hallowed things out of my. house. . . . . . and
tenth of their income for His cause. The New Testa- have done according to  all that  thou  ha& commanded
ment is built on the foundation of the Old Testament.           me. Look down from thy hdly`habitaticn,  `from `heaven
An Old Testament principle or custom which the New and  tbless thy people "Israel,. and the land which thou
Testament does not  repea1,  directly or indirectly, must hast given us, as thou sw%rest`unto  cur fathers, a land
be held to be still valid. If this were not so, we could that flaw&h  with milk' and honey" (Dem.  26:12-I5j'.
never maintain the validity of Infant Baptism, since What `this prayer shows is that in the mind of the


      360                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

      praying Israelite and thus in the mind of God giving typijcal institutions of the Old Testament. Tithing was
      the tithes and the fulfillment of the promise of th& typi- thus a ceremonial law, an institution that vanished
      cal Canaan, were associated. Israel, I once wrote in a away with the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross. It
      former article, was a people that had been delivered            vanished away, was thus repealed.              Christ did not
      by Jehovah from the bondage of Egypt. The typical revive and endorse it, as the reverend contends. Wrote
      Canaan was God's country, His rest, which He had he, "Tithing was endorsed by Christ. He said concern-
      entered with His people. He was the supreme Lord                ing .the Pharisees, who tithed mint, anise and cummim
      both  ol' this land and of the people of Israel. This people but neglected the weightier things of the law, justice,
      dwelt in God's land. In agreement herewith, the Lord and mercy, and f&th : "But these (the latter) ye ought
      commanded His people to separate unto Him the tithes            to have done, and not to have left the other undone."
      and the firstfruits of all their earthy gain and, to place      Here the Lord grants that the scribes and the Phari-
      them before His altar. What did they, through their sees did right in giving a tenth even of the Iittle things
      doing so express. This is not hard to see. The first-           which they raised in their garden."
      fruits were representative of the entire harvest. As               Mu  Difficulty.  At the time that Christ uttered
      to the number ten, it is the symbolical number of com- this language, the Old Dispensation, though drawing
      pletion, so that the tenths, likewise, stood for the            to a close, had not yet ended, as Christ had still to die
      entire yield of the ground. So, bringing their  first-          on the cross. So, at that juncture, the believers were
      fruits and giving their tithes, the Israelite declared still under the ceremonial law, and therefore had to
      through this action, !?Lord,  the whole  I,and is thine.        tithe. This `being true, Christ said to the Pharisees,
      Its entire increase belongs to thee. We are thy re-             who it seems were diminishing their tithes, despite all
      deemed servants, stewards in thy house. What thou their ostentations of piety, that they ought "not to
      placest in our hands,  {we hold merely as a trust."             have  lefi the `other  (ti%hing,  etc.) undone." So, the
      That there might be to ZIis people an instrument for            plain  faot of the matter is that in uttering the words"
      giving expression to these truths,  Ithe Lord com-              "and not to have left the other undone" Christ was
      manded His people to bring firstfruits, and tenths, .reproving  the Pharisees on account of their failure to
      not ninths or elevenths but tenths. What was brought do. what the ceremonial law, by which they were still
      up, went to the support of the Levites.                         bound, required.      But the reverend maintains th&
             That such was the speech that rose from the offer-       .by the words "not to have left  .the other undone"
      ing of the tenth and the firstfruits we learn from what         Christ at once endorsed tithing for New Testament
      the worshipper had to declare while. still standing in          believers.. This is not true.
      Clod's presence with His offering,                                                  (To be Continued)
              "A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he                                                           G. M. 0.
              went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with
              a few, and became there a nation, ,great,  mighty
              and populous :
              "And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and af-                             WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
`.            flicted us with hard bondage : ,                            On May 15, 1941, the Lord willing, our dear parents,
              "And we cried ,unto the Lord of our fathers, the                             MARTIN ZUIDEMA
              Lord heard our voice and looked upon our afflic-
              tions,, and our labour and our oppression:                                            and
                                                                                     MRS. MARTIN ZUIDEMA-Xamstra
              "And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with
              a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm,            hope to commemorate their 40th Wedding Anniversary.
              and with great terribleness, and with signs and             We their grateful children thank our Lord for  ELis  grace
              with wonders :                                          and loving kindness in sparing them for each other and US these
              "And hath brought us into this place, and hath          many years.
              given  `us this land, even a land that floweth with         It is our prayer that He may continue to bless them and
              milk ,and honey:                                        that we may enjoy their' companionship for their remaining
              "And now, behold, I have brought the  first-fruits      years.
              of *he land, which thou 0 Lord, bath given me".                                   Their grateful children
               (Deut. 26 :5-10)                                                                        Mr. and Mrs. Albert Zuidema
             It is plain that the bringing of the first-fruits and                                     Ruth
      the giving of the tenths concerned the typical land of                                           Donald Marvin
      Canaan and the typical commonwea18th  of Israel and                                              Sylvia Mae
      this land and .this commonwealth only and that tithing Open House forrelatives and friends 2-4 afternoon,  7-10 evening.
      therefore belonged to the category of the symbolical-           848 Baxter St., S. E., Grand Rapids, Mich.


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                                                                                           Or again, it is like the light that gives hope to him
                                                                                       that gropes his way through a deep and  narrow.  cave,
                           M e d i t a t i o n   J                                     meandering through the bowels of a  rocky  mountain.
                                                                                       Whether there is an exit at all, and whether he moves
                                                                                       in the direction of that outlet he would not know; ex-
                           A Light  .In Darkness                                       cept for the spot of light that glimmers in the distance.
                                                                                       Beholding it, he feels assured that yonder is the way
                            We have also a  m.-o+re sure word of                       out.
                       prophecy;  zzhereunto ye do well that ye                            A light shining in a dark place!
                   ~&I+   h e e d ,  as  u n t o   a  light  t h a t   shin&h             Such is the more sure word of prophecy !
                       in a  dark  place, until the day dawn and                               For, indeed, a dark place is this present world.
                       the day star arise  Sn your hearts, know-                       And the darkness that prevails all about us is that of
                       ing this first that no prophecy  of  the                        the gloomy and hopeless shadow of de&h.  Death
                                                                                                                                                          ..__  *~  en
                    `i scripture is  of  any private interpret*                        all i,ts horrible power, its fear and  .terror, its hopeless-
  :                    tion.  -For the  prophecy   cawz.e not in  o!d                  ness and despair, its suffering and sorrow casts its
                                                                                                                                                             ..,  ^
                       time by the will of man: but holy men                           deep shadow over us. It reaches out to the  hori,Ton of
                     ._ of  God spake as they were moved by our earthly existence, it extends to the very boundaries
                       the Holy Ghost.                                                 of our earthly life; it surrounds us on all sides, it
                                                       II Pet.  l:lP,Ol                penetrates our inmost soul, it fills our hearts, our
   Blessed light ?                                                                     minds ;  i.t pursues us in all our way, it characterizes all
       Shining brightly, vividly, in a dark place !                                    our activity; it paralyses all our efforts, it renders
       Encouraging the weary traveler to continue his                                  vain all our hope. .$Ve wander and labor and toil in the
journey through the dark night, directing his course,                                  darkness of death. We ponder and grope to find a way
showing him where there is a way out of the darkness out, but there is none !
into the light of day !                                                                        Darker than the darkest night is this darkness of
       I,t is like the light that instills hope and  assurance                         death !
into the breast of the mariner, when his ship is storm-                                    Death that loudly speaks of condemnation, and
tossed in the dark night and is threatened with utter therefore of darker death to come. For death is the
destruction by being crushed against the rock-bound                                    power of God Who kills us. We do not  merely,  die,
shore in the distance ; but when the ~clear  light from                                somehow,  accidentlly,  fatalistically, without under-                                '
the light-tower reaches out to him over the inky waves standing why and how: we  are  killed! Death is in-
he knows whither to steer his vessel and feels assured                                 flicted upon us!- The darkness that engulfs us is the
that  .he will safely reach the harbor.                                                darkness of the death-cell in which we await the final
       Or it is like the friendly- light that beckons the                              execution of the sentence that was pronounced against
lonely traveler on a dark and unknown road in the                                      us.. And the Judge that rendered the verdict is God.
deep of night. The way is rough and almost impass- And the reason for the sentence is `our sin. The dark-
able. The road is hardly distinguishable in the dark-                                  ness that is upon us witnesses of the wrath of God,
ness. But ,the hand of love placed a bright light in the speaks to us of sin and judgment, and testifies that we
window of the home he desires to reach. Guided by can never find a way out, that the way'out  of this pre- .
that, light, he advances on his way, assured that the sent death is none other than that which leads us into
way leads home,                                                                        death eterna1,  outer darkness! . . . .


                      .
362                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

   A dark place, indeed !                                     tion, and when they had heard the voice that came to
   There is a debt we cannot pay, but only increase.          Him from the excellent glory: This is my beloved Son,
There is a load of guilt we cannot remove. There is a in ,whom  I am well pleased!
power of corruption from which we cannot deliver our-            And thus they witnessed in the world, and their
selves. There is a death we can never overcome !              word caused the light of life, the light of ,His resurrec-
   In that dark place, behold, a light!                       tion to pierce the darkness of our night of sin and
  Just as the darkness is the darkness of death, so this death.
light is the light of life. Shining into the dark place          Yet, not for the first time through their'word did
in which we are, it is resurrection-life. No other light that light shine in the dark place. Their word, indeed,
could pierce the darkness of death. It shines from caused that light to shine more directly,. more clearly,
without into our darkness. It is not of this world. It .mbre brightly than ever before, because they had seen
is the light that shines from the face of the Risen Lord Him face to face, seen Him in the power of His com-
into our night of death, clearly, brightly, hopefully. . .    ing on the holy mount, seen Him, too, in the beauty
   It is the light of righteousness shining into our of His resurrection before He was taken up from them;
night of sin, the light of deliverance into our night of yet, the light had always been shining in the darkness
corruption, the light of eternal glory piercing the dark- of the world. For, there was of old the word of pro-
ness of our shame and misery !                                phecy, always testifying of the suffering of Christ and
   For, He came into our night ; He descended into our of the "glories that should follow", principally always
deepest night of sin and death. And He overcame ! witnessing of the hope of the resurrection; and their
ZIe .went on, through death and hell, through the dark- own word, the word of the apostles merely united itself
ness of (Hades, to eternal life and glory, where death        with the testimony of that more sure word of prophecy
hath no more dominion.                                        that had been heard of old to make one powerful testi-
   He is no more in our dark place, but stands on the mony carrying into the world of darkness the light of
other side of death and the grave, and signals the mes-       resurrection-life !
sage of light into our darkness : "I am the resurrection         Thus -we must conceive of this "more sure word of
and the life ; he that believeth on me `shall live though     prophecy".
he were dead ; and he that liveth and believeth on me            It is one word !
shall never die !"                                               Not only the prophecy of the old dispensation is
   From His glorious face the light shineth in our            implied in this word, nor merely the prophecy of the
dark place !                                                  New Testament is meant. Still less does this "word of
   Looking through the darkness at this  resurrection-        prophecy" refer to any particular prophecy in the
light  we know that there is a way out!                       Scriptures. Prophecy is one whole. It is conceived
   A lively hope is born through faith in Him within in the protevangel: "I will put enmity between thee
our hearts !                                                  and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed ;
   Keeping our eye fixed on Him we proceed on our             it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel".
way through the dark place, rejoicing. . . .                  It continues and grows through the old dispensation,
   Blessed light that shineth in a dark place!                in the revelation given to patriarchs and prophets, in
                                                              t,ypes and shadows, in temple and altar and sacrifice
   A light it is, that never deceives!                        and priest; it reaches its central fulfilment in the first
   For we have a more sure word of prophecy, and on           coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, His suffering and
the wings of that very sure word the resurrection light death, His resurrection and assumption into the high-
reaches us in the darkness !                                  est glory of heaven ; and it still continues through the
   The apostles saw the light, for they saw Him, the word .of the apostles, that were eyewitnesses of His
Resurrected One, and they beheld His power and His glory, always pointing forward, and always throwing
coming !                                                      the light of the resurrection, the light of life, into the
   No cunningly devised fables did they  -follow,  when       darkness of our night of sin and death.  Ali this.
they testified of the power and the coming of the Lord though consisting of many individual prophecies, con-
Jesus Christ. Some, indeed, scoffers and mockers as stitutes the one, very sure, "word of prophecy", that
they were, alleged that they concocted cunningly de- carries to us the light shining in a dark place.
vised fables when they witnessed of the power of the             That light is the chief content of this word.
Lord to save from the power of sin and death, and                Always that word speaks of His power and His
of His coming again in glory to realize that salvation.       coming, of His power to overcome death, and His ulti-
But these scoffers had no eye or ear or heart to see and      mate coming to deliver us from ,its power. This is
hear and receive spiritual things. For, eyewitnesses          the central meaning of the promise that He .would
the apostles had `been of His glory and majesty when crush the heel of the serpent. This is the meaning
they were with  Him in the holy mount of transfigura-         of the prophecies of the old dispensation, when the


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   -  -  - -                               :363

prophets searched "what, or what manner of time the He moved them, incited them, enlightened them, direct-
Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when ed them in their thoughts and desires and in the very
it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the words they uttered. Prophecy, therefore, is not of
`glories' that should-follow". This was centrally ful- man ; nor is it partly of man and partly of God. It is
filled in the  first coming of the Lord. And this is still the Word of God to us.
the promise of the gospel. Still the word of prophecy             Hence, it is a "more sure word", a word that is
testifies of His power and coming, holds out before us very sure.  1
the final revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, coming             Looking at that light in a dark place, our hearts
,on the clouds of heaven to  l-lnish  ,the salvation He has may well be filled with hope and joy.
wrought.                                                          The joy of righteousness in the midst of our pre-
        The light shining in a dark place1                     sent sin.
        And it is sure.                                           The joy of life in the midst of our present death!
        Never will it deceive those that heed it.                 The light of hope that never maketh ashamed!
        For, it shines from without into our world. It is         Reliable light !
not a light that is lit within our world, by men. Pro-
phecy  ,did not come by the will of man. Had it come
through man, it would have no value, it could not show            Guiding light!  ;
us the way out of the darkness, it could not  Ibe reliable:       Well we do to take heed unto it!
For "all the light that is in the world, that is .in man,         Be sure.not to confuse it with other would-be lights,
is darkness. But this light is not the result of cun- that can only lead you astray and seduce you to your
ningly devised fables. It is not the light of philosophy. own destruction. Many such false, deceiving lights
Nor could it ever be. For this light speaks of things are lit by men in the darkness of this world, lights of
that eye hath not seen, and ear hath not heard, neither philosophy and science so-called, lights kindled by the
hath ever arisen in the heart of man.                          wisdom of this world, seducing your hearts to seek the
        But it shines from without, from above.                things that are upon the earth, the things of the pre-
 It is of God, come in the flesh, died on the cross sent world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes
in that flesh, raised into glory, received in the highest and the pride of life. . . .
heaven, testifying through the Spirit by the means of             Give heed to the one light that shineth in a dark
holy men, who thus became witnesses of the light.              place, in distinction from all lights kindled by mere
        Not a matter of private interpretation is prophecy. men.
Interpretation, indeed, it is. The prophet interpreted            Just as the mariner on his storm-tossed ship may
things, gave an explanation of the things that are see many lights on the distant shore, but in the midst
in the light of things that are to come. He spoke of of them all must distinguish and heed the one flash of
the glories that should follow, and in the light of those the beacon that indicates the entrance into the safe
glories he viewed all things. But this interpretation harbor, so God's people in the world must keep their
was not his own personal affair. He did not offer his eye stedfastly  on the one reliable light that, through
own "world and life view". He did not express his the word of prophecy, shines into the present darkness
private opinion of things. He did not peer into the from the face of the crucified Lord that is raised from
darkness to discover a way out and offer it to men ; the dead. _ And in order to be able to distinguish that
he did not ponder the problems of existence and  ,offer        one light in the midst of many  woulddbe  lights, we
his solution to a world in darkness. He merely heard must know it, study it, grow in the knowledge of it,
and saw and received, and reported what he had re-             discern ever more clearly its transcendent, heavenly
cdved.                                                         beauty and glory.
        For holy men of God were they. Saints `they were          Well yedo, lf ye heed it !
themselves, that looked for the realization of the prom-          That means, too, that yecontemplate  that light, and
ise.                                                           keep your eye fixed on it  by&h and in hope, Trust
        And moved they were by the Holy Ghost, ,by the in that light, in life and in death;.  with all your heart
Spirit of the Risen Lord.                                      and mind and soul and strength. Keep your feet in
        Christ spoke,-in them, through them, causing the its path even though it leads you throfi@.suffering and
light directly to shine forth from Himself into the death, though'the  reproach of the~i$$ld~,be  your lot,
dark place. His Spirit controlled their mind and their though you must forsake all in following after it.
will. His Spirit illuminated their minds so that they             Soon, then and then only, the daystar  will arise
could discern the spiritual things of the kingdom of in your hearts, the messenger of the morning of eter-
heaven, and they could receive the revelation of His           nal day!
power and coming. He gave them eyes to see and ears               Then the darkness will be dissipated forever.
to hear and hearts to receive the things of the Spirit,           And you shall see face:  to face !         II. r-i.
                                                                                                        E


                                                 -.
864                                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D  BE.ARER
                                                                         .,     .
                                                                                              eenige dagen de S. B. van Jan., na lezing was de  ver-
                                                                                              rassing  gepaard met vex-wondering, gezien de inhoud!
                         E d i t o r i a l s                                                  Uit  VW  artikel   :Nazi  progress in the Netherlands?,
                                                                                              vernam ik dat men in, de V. S. nog in het onzekere ver-
                               Home Again                                                     keert omtrent het al of niet `toetreden van een pro-
                                                                                              fessor van de V. U. tot een nat-sot. partij. Dit  ge-
    Friday, May the ninth.  10 P.  M.                                                         rucht was maar al te waar ! Tegen het einde van het
    About three hours ago undersigned arrived home afgelopen jaar verscheen in de couranten het bericht
again from a visit to all our churches in the West.                                           dat Professor Van Schelven zou zijn toegetreden tot
    My speedometer indicates that I travelled seven Nationaal Front (vroeger Zwart Front; Ieider  Arnold
thousand two hundred and nineteen miles.                                                      Meijer). Hoewel deze partij iets gematigder is dan
    About the trip and the work done I hope to write                                          de N. S. B., komt ze tech in principe met deze overeen.
in the near future. &et it be sufficient at this time to Zoowel  Mussert  als "Arnold" denken  dat ze onmisbaar
state that we had a very pleasant and, I believe, a very                                      zijn, even onmisbaar  als de nieuwe orde die zij  propa-
blessed journey.                                                                              geeren.
    Just called up the printer of the Standard Bearer to                                        De laatste  tijd echter, gaat hier hardnekkig het ge-
find out how much copy was still wanted for the                                               rucht rond, dat'de heer Van Schelven  weer uit Natio-
issue of May 15. Seventeen typewritten sheets, was                                            naal Front zou zijn getreden, onder sterke pressie van
the answer!                                                                                   het college van Curatoren. In  tegensteiling  met zijn
    I confess my negligence in this case. For two                                             toetreding, heeft de professor  di't  gerucht nog niet
issues I left  sutllcient copy before I left Grand Rapids.                                    bevestigd, maar on&end is het ook niet.
For the present number I wrote the meditation in                                                 Om de kans te vergrooten dat U dit ontvangt,  ant;
sunny California. But I should have written much houd ik mij nu van andere opmerkingen, alleen dit:
more. However, in four weeks I spoke twenty-five                                              Voor  80% zijn wij het hier  niet eens met de  brief-
times, and for the rest, well, I did not feel very am-                                        schrijver die U in de S. B. behandelde.
bitious to sit down at the typewriter.                                                           Als U deze Brief publiceert, heb ik Iiever niet dat
    And so the reader will have to be satisfied with a                                        U mijn naam noemt, het lij,kt zoo "kakkerig" (sorry
few  scribblings and my lecture on Nazism, as far voor dit woord) als ik met mijn 18 jaar al met naam
as my part in the present issue of our paper is con-                                          en toenaam in de krant sta.
cerned.                                                                                                                           Hoogachtend, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
       From now on we hope to do better again.                                                   Xk meende, dat dit schrijven van genoeg  belang,is,
                                                                         II. H.               om,het  te plaatsen. We verblijden ons vooral  overde
                                            -                                                 laatste opmerkingen van den schrijver; En  -oak zijn
                                                                                              we blij, dat zoo nu en dan de S. B. nog in Nederland
                              Uit Nederland                                                   wordt ontvangen. We vernamen dit ook uit andere
       Van een broeder -uit Nederland ontvingen we het                                        b r o n n e n .                                                  H. H.
volgende sclirijven :
                                                                     18 Febr. `41.
Den Weleerwaarden  Heer                                                                                          W E D D I N G   A N N I V E R S A R Y
Ds. H. Hoeksema.                                                                                  On Friday, May 16, our dear parents
Red. v.d. Standard Bearer.                                                                               Mr. and  !Mrs.  PETER KOOISTRA-Wiersma
1139 Franklin St., S. E.                               '                                      hope to commemorate their 45th wedding anniversary, D.  V:
Grand Rapids, Mich. (U.S.A.) )                                                                    With them we rejoice in the mercies of Jehovah, Who has
                                                                                              been their support and guide. We heartily congratulate them
       Geachte Ds. .Hoe.ksema,                                                                and pray God to enlighten'and prolong their days for each other
       Allereerst  zal ik in gedachten een "handshake" met and for us.                                                  Their grateful children:
U wisselen, ,zoodat U tenminste een klein beetje van                                                                               Mr. and Mrs. Peter Bosscher
mij weet ; U ken ik al we1 door de S. B.                                                                                           Gertrude Kooistra
       Mijn naam is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,ik ,ben ruim 18 jaar.                                         Mr. and l&s. Menno  Kooistra
Sinds September van het ,vorige  jaar zit ik in de 4e                                                                               Hilda Kooistra
klas van de  A.-H.B.S.  (litterair-economisch) in  Gronin-                                                                          Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kooistra
gen. Wij zijn op de S. B. geabbonneerd, dank zij                                                                                    Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Kooistra
mijn 00112, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . die dit doet uit dank voor de Gron.                                                       and 6 grandchildren..
Geref. Kerkbode, die Vader hem in normale tijden deed                                         Open House for relatives and friends Thursday, May 15, in the
toekomen.                                                                                     afternoon  2~00 to 4:00 and in the evening from 7:00  to-  9:OO.
       Tot  onze  gro0t.e  verrassing ontvingen wij voor                                      1031 Wealthy St., S.. E.? Grand Rapids, Michigan.


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        &%

                                                              Nazism in its nature and strife resemble the beast of
       The Antichristian Implications
       :                                                      Rev. 13? But lest you might expect that I would draw
                   ,., Of Nazism*                             the definite `conclusion that it is that Beast, I speak
                                                              intentionally of antichristian ~mplibaticrns. Without
    A few preliminary warnings against a possible miss        venturing to ma$ke any definite predictions as to,the
understanding of the purpose and character of my              immediate future, I purpose to show you  that Nazism
lecture for tonight may not be superfluous.       My sub- manifests the fundamental features of the Beast, and
ject might conceivably arouse the expectation in your that, if it should succeed in the full. realization of its
hearts and minds that I am about to deliver a war-            ambitions, it would be antichrist in its final form in-
speech, or that my lecture aims at justifying our giv- deed. But at the same time I like to suggest by this
ing as much as possible aid to Great Britain. Surely,         qualifying term "implications" that personally I very
you might argue, it is Nazism that in this present war        seriously doubt that we must expect Nazism to develop
is seeking world-dominion and control of all things,          into the ultimate form of the Beast. To do this I can
and that as such is fighting the democracies of the best call your attention to :
world; has already ruthlessly trampled under its brutal                I. Its Conception of the State;
feet many weaker nations, brought the proud republic                  II. Its Religious Views;
of.`France  into abject subjection, and is now making a
desperate attempt to overcome and destroy the British                III. Its Limitations.
Empire. If, therefore, it can be shown that Nazism is
principally antichristian, that, perhaps, it manifests           I. That, in trying to point out the antichristian
the nature of `the Beast out of the sea, as pictured in       features of Nazism, I must call your attention to its
Rev. 13, it is proved to be an evil force which we do conception of the State, is self-evident. For there  Ican
well to  opbose  with al1 the power and resources at our be no question about the fact, that according to  Sdril$
disposal.    But if this should  *be your expectation, I ture,  the final manifestation of Antichrist  willassume
must warn you from the `butset  that you will *be dis- the form of a political world-power. The dragon will
appointed. My lecture does not intend to be anything make a final attempt to oppose the dominion of Christ
of the kindt It is not directed against our aiding Great      and replace it by his own, to gain control over the
Britain, nor' does it mean to be a plea in favor of it.       kingdoms of this worId. To realize this purpose he  ian
It does not mean to be `a political speech, nor does it       f!rid no better medium than the institution of the State
intend to solve economic problems. It has nothing to with its mighty sword. And this institution he will
do with the question of armament and physical pre-            use. His human representative on earth, the.  Anti-
paredness. Ifs-purposes  to limit itself to spiritual christ, will have political world-power. That this is
truths and realities.    It considers Nazism from a true is evident from all Scripture wherever it speaks  of
spiritual aspect. And, therefore, since spiritual powers this subject. It is very evident from Rev. 13. The
of darkness cannot be overcome by the sword of the beast is symbol of a world-empire, as it arises out of
government, even though it can oppose their physical          the sea of peoples and nations and tongues. Its heads
aggression, my lecture means to be an exhortation are representations of so many mighty  ,em$res  of the
to put on the whole armor of God, that we may be past, the present and the-future. Its ten `do?ns sj6
able to stand in the evil day.                                bolize so many kings or separate governments. Anti-
                                                              christ, therefore, will be the head of a State, together,
    Secondly, I must warn you not to expect that to- of course, with its empire or kingdom. We tiave no
night I will' don the mantle of .a prophet in specific        time in this connection to enter into detail. But we
sense of the word. You might expect that it is my must point' out concerning this antichristian State two
intention to convince you that Nazism is very definitely things that are of importance for the subject I am
the final form of antichristendom, and that Hitler will treating. First of all, we must remember- that the
be. Antichrist. But I have no such intentions. It is antichristian+Xate`  will have dominion over the worId
true, that when tonight I use the term "antichristian"        in the literal, sen&`of the. word. For  "power  was
I like to have it understood in its final, ultimate sense.    given him over ail kindreds  and tongues and nations;
In general, of course, Antichrist is always in the world. `and all that dwell on the earth shall worship him,
In that sense I might speak of the antichristian impli-       whose names are .written in the book of life of the
cations of many other movements in the modern world,          Lamb slain from the foundation of the world". It will
e.g: of "modernism", or even of "democracy". It is not be a world-dominion. A,nd, secondly, this antichristian
in this general sense that I use the term tonight. No,        State  wil1 have unlimited power over all things  in.Aq
1. am thinking of. the antichristian emnire in its, final     dominion.    It will be the sole authority that exX&
sense, as it will appear in the end, when I use the word-.    There will  `be no other spheres of authority and sover-
The question I would like to present to you is: Does eignty within its dominion, next to it, excIuding  it,


366                               ~.  T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE-ARER

such as that of the Church, of the Home, of the School,       require, they in turn have to assume absolute responsi-
of Industry and Commerce.         What the Dutch call bility in certain domains, exactly as on a large scale
"souvereiniteit in eigen kring" will be  contrabande.         has the leader himseIf  or the head of the respective
There will be no freedom. What you shall eat and corporation. . . . The folkish State,  in principle, does
drink, and whether you shall eat and drink ; what you         not tolerate that in concerns of a special kind, for in-
shall teach in the schools, and whether you shall teach stance of economic nature, people are asked for advice
at all; how you shall conduct your business and in-           or judgment who, by virtue of their education and
dustry, and whether you shall be permitted to conduct activity, are unable to understand anything of the
it at all ; whom and how you  shali worship, and whether matter. . . . No voting ever takes place in any cham-
you shall worship at all,-all these are absolutely deter- ber or senate. They are working institutions and not
mined  `by the State when Antichrist shall make its final voting machines. ,The individual member has an ad-
appearance. Also this is very evident from what we visory vote but never a deciding one. The latter is the
read in the thirteenth chapter of the book of Revela- exclusive privilege of the respective responsible chair-
tion.                                                         man. This. principle of unconditional connection of
    In both these respects I find that Nazism strikingly absolute responsibility with absolute authority will
resembles the Beast.                                          gradually breed up a choice of leaders as is inconceiv-
    I am not now thinking primarily of Hitler's dic- able today, in the era of irresponsible parliamentarian-
tatorship. It is true that it is an essential feature of ism". pp.' 670, 671. There can, therefore, be no doubt
Nazism that it vests all the power of State in one per- that dictatorship belongs to the very essence of Nazism
son. Dictatorship is inseparabIe  from Nazism. Through- from a political viewpoint. And, of course, it must be
out his  "Mein  Kampf" (My Battle) Adolph Hitler admitted that this may easily facilitate the formation
emphasizes this. For this we could quote many pas- of the "almighty" state. But in this dictatorship as
sages from this "gospel of Nazism". Hitler has no             such I do not recognize a necessary feature of anti-
patience with democracies. He raves against parlia-           christendom.  This would be the  .case,  if it could be
ments and parliamentary forms of government. Al- proved .that antichrist will ,be one individual vested
ready when as a young man he sojourned in Vienna to           with all political power rather than a government con-
study art, he came to the conclusion that parliament sisting of a pIurality  of persons who together are in-
is an "assembIy  of babblers", without a sense of respon- vested with the authority of State. But as this is by
sibility. .--He declares : "This institution can be pleasing no means an  established  fact, dictatorship can at pre-
and valuable only ;to the most mendacious sneaks who sent not be considered as an essential characteristid  of
carefully shun the light of day, whereas it must be           Antichrist in its ultimate manifestation, but must be
loathsome to every honest and straightforward fellow viewed merely as a more concentrated form of govern-
who is ready to assume personal responsibility. There- ment than that of democracy. A dictator in whom
fore this kind of democracy has become the, instrument would be vested merely the authority of the State and
of that race. which shuns the sunlight because of its no more could not possibly be the Antichrist in person.
internal aims, now and for all times. Only the Jew               Different, however, it is with respect to the Nazi
can praise an institution that is as dirty and false as conception of the State itself. For, there can be `no
he is himself", p. 116. Instead Hitler proposes dictator- doubt that its conception is that of the "almighty
ship as the only sound and responsible form of govern- State", alongside of which there can be no room for
ment. By this he understands that the people elect other spheres of authority, that swallows up all other
one leader, der Fiihrer,  who, after he is once elected, authority and responsibility, and thus becomes the sole
is not responsible to the people, nor, in fact, to anyone;    power in all the various domains of life, social, eco-
in whom is vested all the power of the State, whose nomic, education and rehgious.               Dr.  Schilder  in his
will is absolute and akme  the law for all; and who,          "Geen Duimbreed" warns against this Nazi concep-
therefore,. also is the sole responsible head for all that tion of the State throughout his brochure against the
is done and occurs in the State. Writes he: "Indeed,          N.S.B. in The Netherlands. He writes: "This ethical,'
what must distinguish the, folkish view of life from mighty, organized community is called State ; it is the
that of Marxism in principle, is that it not only recog- State that causes men to maintain themselves as per-
nizes the value of the race, but by this also the im- sons. One sees. . . . that all this is directly reIated  to
portance of the person and therefore makes the in- the :Hegelian  apotheosis of the State',`. p. 25. - Again:
dividual the pillar of the entire edifice. . . . The folk-    "Hence, all this leads to practical deification of the
ish State, from the community up to the Ieadership of State".          And again: +`In the meantime it must be
the Reich, has no representative body, which decides exnected  that the concrete dictator of flesh and blood
my majority, but only bodies of council who stand at will claim for himself such a measure of authority
the side of the respective elected leader, receiving their to determine what is right, that at all events his State.
share of work from him, so that, as the circumstances becomes absolutistic, and that he proclaims himself to


                                                                                                                     I*.
                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           3 6 ' 7

be the personification of human autonomy". p. 39. On idem., p. 626. What this means in practical reality for
p'. 46 he writes: "For all these reasons it is implied in     the  Ch<ristian School may be gathered from the follow-
the connecction  of these ideas, that a confessing, pro- ing footnote by the American editor of  "Mein Kampf"
phesying  church, and a free, reformed school  must           on p. 642 : "Under- the Republic, the great majority of
come into conflict with this idea of the State and its        German Schools had been confessional in character.
maintenance". He insists that the "leading principle" Protestant groups soon began to feel the pressure of
of the  -.N.S.B.  that of the "preference" of national the new order. Their Youth Organizations were order-
interests above the interests of various groups (family, ed to merge in the Hitler Youth. The right to give
society, etc.) and of the latter above personal interests, religious instruction was more and more infringed
is  corrupt,mand that the Nazi State-coercion is in con- upon ; and elections were held to determine whether
flict with the Reformed principle proclaimed by Dr. A.        parents preferred the old `confessional' or the new
Kuyper, that of "sovereignty in one's own domain".            `community' schools, under auspices which virtually
pp. 54, 55. And Dr. H. Dooyeweerd writes: "What guaranteed-the extinction of the first. During 1936
it (i.e. the totalitarian State of Nazism) intends, is the Synod of Oeynhausen protested not only against
indeed the subjection of all the internal social spheres the restrictions which had been placed upon the Church
of life to the `total State'." Wijsbegeerte der Wetsidee,     but asserted that two mutually exclusive  views.of life
III, p. 349.                                                  were fighting for the German school, and added that
   That this is, indeed, the intention is sufficiently matters had gone so far that teachers who professed
evident already from  "Mein kampf". It is true that in to-be Christians were being discriminated against as
this book, which was written in `the early twenties,          being `politically unreliable'. On May 1, 193'7, Hitler
before Hitler came to power, he expresses himself replied to these and similar charges by saying: `There
rather cautiously, especially with regard to the Church. are some old fools with whom it is too late  to&do.  any-
But even so the tendency toward State absolutism is thing. But we take the children away from them!, -We
sufficiently evident. "The State", according to Hitler, educate them to be new German people. When .the
"is a means to an end. Its end is the preservation and little rascals are ten years old, we take them and form
the promotion of a community of physically and                them into a community. When they are eighteen we
psychically equal living beings". Mein Kampf, p. 594. still do not leave them alone". Mein Kampf, 643, 644.
It aims at training of the spiritual and ideal abilities      "Religious" instruction as given at present in the
of its nationality, p. 595. Hitler emphasizes the im- schools follows the gospel of  "Mein  Kampf".
portance of breeding and purifying and preserving the            In this same way the Nazi State has absolute con-
pure Aryan or Nordic race, for the Nordic or German           trol of %e written and spoken word, science and art,
race is the noblest and highest, always the bearer of the press, the university, the theatre and movie, in-
culture in the world. It must occupy a leading, a dustry and labor. A "Ministry for Public Enlighten-                            _
dominating position in the world. Qn its preservation ment and Propaganda" has been established, headed
depends the preservation of culture, the salvation of by Joseph Coebbels. The duties of this minister are
the human race. This task belongs to the State. It            determined by Hitler. Decree  XXX1  of the Third
follows that the State must have strict supervision over Reich transfers to Coebbels full power over the spoken
the institution of marriage. It determines, not only and written word. Decree XXXIV and XXXV estab-
who and who may not enter into marriage, but also lish a Ministry for Science, Education and Public In-
controls what parties may conclude this sacred union. struction. This minister, responsible only to Hitler,
Especially the intermarriage of Aryans and Jews must has full  .legislative powers in all educational matters.
be opposed. idem  p. 603 ff. But this care of the             In the article in  Foreign  Affairs,  April, 1936, by
State for the welfare of its nationality extends not          Dorothy Thompson, from which I gleaned the above
only "to the time of birth of the young member of information, the author writes: "Who may and who
people and race", but it also "has to educate the young may not write, compose, play, sing, act, produce,
offspring towards becoming a valuable member in               print, is defined in a set of decrees having the full force
view of later propagation". Education, therefore, must of law, and carrying penalties for their violation. what
be strictly under the control of the State. idem.  p. 613.    shall be written, sculptured, built, composed, played,
To the State belongs the task of the formation of acted, and printed is controlled.by  an army of bureau-
character as a part of its educational program. idem.         crats and spies. Dr. Coebbels' bureau is a cultural
p. 621. "AS some day the folkish state has to devote inquisition, its word is final, its force unchallenged".
its highest attention to the education, of will and de-          In the same issue of Foreign Affairs Chas. A Beard
termination, it is to implant joy in taking responsibility has an article entitled "Education Under the Nazis",
and.courage  for confession into the hearts of the young in which he writes: "There is . . . . documental proof
from their early years of life".  idem.  p. 625. It will for the proposition that the administrated supervision
even have to take over the scientific school training.        over education in Germany has been brought under


 368                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 a single national office and that the scope of its author- Foreign Affairs,  April, 1935, by N. Thomas. Instead
 ity embraces every form of intellectual activity  even of free labor organizations there is created by  the
 remotely related to education. It is equally evident State what is called the `German Labor Front'. It is
 from the mass of laws and decrees spread over hun- an organization that includes all German brain and
 dreds of pages that German educational administration hand workers, employers and employees, "leaders"
 is not concerned merely, or even primarily with pro-          and "followers". This organization is an organ of the
 viding physical cpnditions  for intellectual and moral        Nazi party. And no other organizations are toler-
 life in institutions of learning. On the contrary, decree ated.
 after decree shows that it is above all interested in im-        It is evident, then, that the almighty, the totalitar.
 nosing a rigid pattern of life and thought on teachers ian State is the ideal of Nazism, one of. its essential
 and pupils alike, and is openly hostile to every mani- features. It is the implication and consummation of
 festation of free inquiry and `discussion in the  schools,    all authority in human society., It lords it over all
 from the bottom to the top. The subjects to be taught, domains of life. No other spheres of authority are
 the books admitted to the school rooms, the papers and        acknowledged or permitted. This idea itself is con-
 magazines bought for school libraries, and the very trary to Scripture, which certainly acknowledges the
 spirit of instruction are prescribed in minute de- home, the church as well as various other spheres in
 tails. . . . The celebrated `Lehrfreiheit' is now at an the life of society as domains that are sovereign within
 end'. What all this would mean for such institutions their own limits, not to speak now of personal liberty.
 as the Free University in the Netherlands, theological And it is the necessary prerequisite for the exercise
 schools, and our own system of.  .Christian instruction, of the antichristian `power in its ultimate realization.
 can easily be surmised !                                      For only the power of a totalitarian State can lords it
        Some  of the outstanding principles that control       over the Church and use its mighty sword to extermin;
 this education are the following: 1. The  doctrine  of ate the last vestige of Christian truth, confession and
 sheer force ; the State is power and Adolf Hitler is influence.           It is the  imlispensible condition for the
 the State ; the will of the State is his wil1; the supreme    exercise of that power that can and will determine that
 law is made by the Leader, master .of force. This, no .one shall either buy or sell unless he adopts the
 force is a good in itself.  The'man of force is to be         mark of the beast!
 glorified. In him is reflected the soul of the nation.           But, of course, this power can only hope fur suc-
 2. The doctrine of race. Germany owes  iti greatness cess if its sway is universal, if it becomes a  world-
 to the?pure  Aryan blood. This race has made all his- power in the fullest sense of the word. The question,
 tory worth mentioning, in Western Europe and .will            therefore, is whether Nazism has ambitions, to become
 make stillgreater history. The breed must, multiply such a world-power and strives after this ideal. And
 and must be kept pure.        Jewish elements must be abo  this question, I think; we may answer in the
 expelled ; inferior and democratic races must be barred. affirmative. National Socialism can never be satisfied
 3. Fear of the German God, not the Jehovah of the             to remain nationally limited. This may be deduced
 Jews, nor the God of Augustine or Martin Luther; from its conception of State. According to its con-
 and honor of Adolf Hitler. And the spirit in the class- ception there is an "idea" State. In- this Nazism is
 room is best expressed in the words of  *Hans  Schemm,        truly Hegelian. This idea State is embodied more or
 leader in the National Socialist Teachers' Union:  "We less perfectly in every State. But the Nazi form of
 will, Adolf Hitler, so train the German youth, that they the State  is. its most perfect realization. The con-
 will grow up in your world of ideas, in your purposes,        clusion is that Nazism cannot rest till this perfect
 and in the direction set by your will. That is pledged embodiment of the idea State shall have become uni-
 to you by the whole German system of education  from          versal. This is also to be deduced from its philosophy
 the common school to the university". Chas. A. Beard about race. The Aryan race, the Nordic race, the
 in  Foreign Affairs,  April, 1936.                            German people are the highest, the purest and strong-
        Equally subjected to the power of the almighty est race in the world. It is the bearer of all "culture".
 State is Industry and Labor. For labor unions, Chris- It, therefore, must be kept as pure as possible. But
 tian or otherwise, there is no room in the Nazi State.        it must also occupy a leading, a dominating position in
 "Today the old voluntary labor unions are .completely         the world. It must rule. Its rule is the salvation of
 outlawed. Their elected leaders are dead, in exile, in the world. This idea is reiterated again and again in
 concentration camps or prisons. The old constitutional "Mein  Kampf". But I can quote literal statements
 guarantees of civil liberty, and the old legal rights of by Adolf Hitler. In  "Mein Kamf", p. 598 he writes:
 workers to collective bargaining and to their own "If, in its historical development, the German people
 Works Councils have been swept away. Labor union              had possessed this group unity as it was enjoyed by
property to an estimated value of sixty million dollars        other peoples, then the German Reich would today
 has been confiscated." "Labor Under the Nazis" in probably be the mistress of this globe. World history


                                          T H E   ST'ANDARD  B E A R E R   -                                              369

would have taken a different course, and no one would formed common grace doctrine. This,means  that there
be able to decide if in this way there would not have            is much good in this old world of ours. Plato and
arrived what today so many blind pacifists hope to beg Socrates, so they say, were brave men, but they .must
for by moaning and crying: A peace, supported not by not be the examples of our covenant children.
the palm branches of tearful pacifist professional                  Sometimes the children sing songs like this : "Jesus
female mourners, but founded by the victorious sword loves all the, little children". If you tell them not to
of a people of overlords which puts the world into the sing these songs, you get the answer: "teacher said
service of a higher culture". And if we add to this              we may". They are also under the influence of the
what Nazism not only is doing at the present time in             movies. It is educational: so they are taught, but to
Europe, not only in subjugating the nations it already           be sure, it Ieads them in the wrong direction.
has  overcome by its power and in trying to introduce             The second speaker was the Rev. C. Hanko. He
the  .Nazi State in those countries, but. also- what it did chose.for  his subject : The necessity of our own schools,
for a number of years before the war in the form of and a necessity it is indeed.                     Cur doctrine, so the
propaganda through the notorious fifth column, it will speaker. said,  differs.from  the doctrine of the Christian
be perfectly safe to say, that National Socialism, must Reformed Churches, and there are also practical dan-
andactually does aim at world:dominion  and that it gers. We are positive in our doctrine. It is not the
cannot rest until the Nazi State has become universal.           development of a truth, but it is the truth as it is
             (Points II and III cont. in next issue)             taught us in Scripture.
*Lecture delivered in several of our churches,                     As parents we have obligated ourselves to educate
                                                  H. H.          our children in the Prot. Ref. truth. We cannot afford
                                                                 to send our children to the Chr. Ref. schools, for then
                                                                 we must compromise ; `and this we may not' !
                                                                    If it is true, and it is true, that the children are
                                                                 the future of the churches, then it is most necessary
                  The School Problem                       `I-' that we withhold our children from a doctrine which
                                                                 is wrong and not our own.
        The Men's League  AnnuaI membership meeting                 The Rev. R. Veldman-spoke on the possibility to
was held Tuesday, April 15, in the Fuller Ave. Prot. maintain our own schools. The reverend came to the
R e f .   C h u r c h   p a r l o r s .                          conclusion that it is possible indeed. It is possible also
        The Board had planned an up to date program,             from a financial point of view, if we as. Prot. Ref.
which was well received by old and young; although               parents have a heart for this worthy cause. If we
the attendance was rather small, which was `notit?, our only feel the need,  and, our responsibility, and have not
credit, to be sure.              .. L.                           fallen  away  too far.      `,  r                        -
        The  topEc of the program was: Should we  have.our          The Rev. J. De Jong asked ,himself  the question:
own System of Christian Instruction?                             On what level should we start? It was his opinion,:
  * The Revs. P. Boer, C. Hanko, .R. Veldman and. J. D.e that we must not start with a school for higher in-
Jong were' asked to speak on this worthy subject, and            struction, for in the past: it had become evident that
they were each allowed 15 minutes time.                     .    our people do not want this, and therefore Iet us start
        The first speaker spoke on: the present condition with  a,.grammar  school.. We must start  from, the bot-
of instruction in existing  educationa  institutions, The t o m .
speaker pointed out that it is a sad situation that about           In this connection I can inform the S. B. readers
25 percent of our own Prot. Ref. parents send their that in this very same week we came together and
children to the public schools. Can you conceive of it? have organized a society for christian education.
so he asked, parents who.are supposed to be one  .:with             What shall we say now about this movement? It
us, and they must and do know that our children are is. noble, to be sure. .But are we strong enough, aIso
the  .`Lord's ; for they have promised to bring them up in number, and do we have enough of that true faith
in the fear of the Lord.                                         that removes mountains? We only need a little, but it
   ~These parents usually claim that the public school must .be genuine.                                           (`,
is neutral. This, however, is a lie. You have modern-               Our meetings of this kind, you  aIways   meet. the
ism in that school.; and modernism is antichristian, few. Oh I know it : Our covenant God is not dependent
It is the destruction of everything that is dear to. the upon us. With a Gideon's band He can do wonders
people of God.            .L.                                    also today.
        Our Christian schools of today differ  radically from        As I see it: it would be a`real blessing for us if
the public school, although we can not be satisfied with we werethrown out onice more ; and now I refer to the
the institution of the  Christian  schools of today, for schools in the which our youth are educated. How-
they are colored by the teaching of the Christian Re-
"  ~                                                             ever, our duty as  Prot. Ref. parents is to step out and


370                                         T H E S T A N D A R D   ,B'EARER

build schools of our own; and I assure you the Chr.             der ervaring. En hij eindigt met een vermaning voor
Ref. people will give us credit this time.                      al Gods volk, een vermaning die hij neerpent in  zang-
       You may ask: but are there only a few in our midst stijl.
which are in favor of having our own school ? I am                 Toen ik zweeg. Die woorden vertolken een zondige
convinced there are many.                                       toestand  bij David. Ja, een  dubbel  zondige toestand,
   Some parents, however, do not see the danger of want hij had gezondigd en zweeg van zijn zonde tot
sending their children to a school other than our own. God. En dat is  dubbel  zondig. Het is erg om Gods
There are also some in our midst who say: this present          geboden te verbreken. De  he1 zucht daarover van
school is good enough. Others say it costs too much.            beneden. Doch het is erger om de zonde te verbloemen,
Others make the statement, a school is not a church te doen alsof ge niet gezondigd hadt. De  he1 schreewt
and vice versa. Still others do not think through. rauwelings daarover uit hare diepten.
They are for Christian education and therefore they                Wat de zonde geweest is  weten we niet. Bathseba
send their children to the Christian schools ; but for a        en Uria? `t Kan we1 zijn. Dan is het die periode ge-
school of our own they have not much feeling.                   weest tusschen het bedrijven van die dubbele  vreese-
    There are also who reason that the burden is too            lijke zonde en de visitie die Nathan, de  profeet Gods,
heavy. Bornetimes  I am inclined to think that we are           bij David aflag.
too far from `24. In those days there was much zeal                t' Ran we1 zijn, want David heeft de rest van zijn
and enthusiasm.                                                 leven  die diepte niet vergeten. Beloofde hij God niet,
       Let us put on the full armor of God and never            als het Hem behagen mocht om hem te vergeven, hij
grow weary. And let us never forget, "united we stand,          de zondaren Gods weg zou leeren? En nu die onder-
divided we fall."                                               wijzing? `t Zou we1 passen  dan ; doch zekerheid heb-
                                             S. De Vries.       hen we niet.
                                                                   Hoe het dan ook zij, David had gezondigd en de
                                                                zonde is een zware zonde geweest. Dat kan men mer-
                                                                ken uit de beschrijving ervan. De eerste verzen geven
                                                                U vier woorden voor de zonde: overtreding, zonde, on-
             De Zaligspreking Davids                            gerechtigheid en  cbedrog.  In de tweede plaats, hebt
                                                                hebt  ge de eigenaardige  karakteriseering  in vers 5.
                         (Psalm 32)                             Daar spreekt David van de ongerechtigheid zijner
                                                                zonde. Hij meet de dingen uit. Zijn zonde heeft een
       Ge moogt den tweeden  naamval in den titel voor-         diepen indruk op hem gemaakt. Heeft een  diepen
werpelijh  verklaren of onderwerpelijk, het doet er wond geslagen.
niet toe, want beide is waar. David spreekt bier men-              Toen ik zweeg.
schen zalig, dat is onderwerpebjk.          Doch David wordt       Dat doet de geheele goddelooze wereid nu al voor
hier tik zalig gesproken : en dat is voorwerpelijk.             6000 jaren. Men stapelt zonde op zonde en nooit hoort
    Zoo spoedig  we aan dezen.  psalm denken,  zoo spoe-        men den kreet : 0 God, *wees mij zondaar genadig !
dig denken  we ook aan de verklaring der eerste verzen Men zwijgt. En God  zwijgt ook. "Alle deze  dingen
door Paulus in Romeinen 4:6-9a.        '                        doet gij en Ik zwijg!" Het is vreeselijk van beide zij-
    Of ook  aan II Cor.  521. In &en laatsten tekst             den. Het is vreeselijk om zonde op zonde te stapelen
zien we den Heere Jezus  Christus  zonde  gemaakt  voor en zich niet te haasten om den Zoon te ontmoeten, ter-
ons, opdat wij zouden worden  rechtvaardigheid Gods wijl men nog op den weg wandelt. Want een zwijgend
in Hem                                                          God is nog vreeselijker. Dat zwijgen is vanwege de
    Dit is een onderwijzing Davids.                             almachtige kracht Gods die het kan staan om  mil-
   David heeft wat geleerd en het geleerde zal ter Uwer lioenen van zonderen te zien zondigen en hen niet te
onderwijzing geboekstaafd  worden,.  opdat het de eeu-          verdelgen.      Dat is de verdraagzaamheid Gods. Hij
wen verdure en U en  ontelbarescharen onderwijze.               kan zwijgen voor duizende  jaren, hoewel die Hem
Door den Heiligen Geest. Ge kunt er op aan.                     kennen zouden verwachten, dat Hij brulde van grooten
    Paulus  noemt het een zaligspreking.                        toorn en grimmigheid: "Dat Gij zijn ongerechtigheid
    Zalig beteekent vol te zijn. Geluk  zegt waarvan nog langer kunt verdragen !"
ge vol  werdt.  En het voorvoegsel  we1 versterkt de               Doch laat een kind Gods eens prbbeeren om te zwij-
idee.     Welgelukzalig !    De smaak en kwaliteit des gen. Doet het niet, want God zwijgt niet. Niet tegen-
hemels zit er in.                                               over U, want IHij mint U. Daarom bezoekt Hij U.
    David heeft wat ervaren. Ook wil hij het U ver-                Luistert maar: Toen ik zweeg, swerden  mijne been-
kondigen.                                                       deren verouderd in mijn brullen den ganschen dag!
    De  vrucht van zijn ervaring wordt ons geschetst Mijn beenderen verouderd is figuurlijke taal. `Wet  be-
in de eerste twee verzen, Dan volgt het beschrijven teekent,  .dat  ge ouderdom ervoert in Uw  wezen.  En


376                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

in het wereldgebeuren nooit iets anders zien dan Gods mountain of the Amorites, which the Lord our God
eigen werk naar het einde aller dingen.                         doth give unto us. Behold the Lord thy God hath set
       In de tweede plaats, daartoe is ook noodig, dat we the land before thee: go up and posses it, as the Lord
nu tot dien strijd  worden  voorbereid. Tot de kerk van God of thy fathers has said unto thee; fear not,.neither
onzen Heere Jezus  Christus komt de vermaning houdt be discouraged. And ye came near unto me every one
wat gij hebt, opdat niemand uw kroon neme. Het of you, and said, We willsend men before us: and they
eeni,ge   licht, dat wij habben is het Woord Gods. De shall search us out the land, and bring us word again
kennis van dat Woord en de liefde tot dat Woord by what way we must go up, and unto what cities we
zijn alleen waarborg, om bewaard te blijven voor af-            shall come. And the saying pleased me well: and I
wijking en voor het meegaan met de wereld. Wie  zich            took twelve men of you, one of a tribe. . . ." (Deut.
wapenen zal tot den strijd, zal dan ook zijn wapen-             19 :23).
rusting enkel en alleen uit dat Woord kunnen halen.                There is no discrepancy here. Both the Lord  corn:
   `En  eindelijk,  daartoe is dan ook noodig het waken         matided and the people requested that the war with the
met en voor elkander. Waken, opdat de vijand ons                Canaanites be preceded by an exploration of the land
niet overrompele. Daar waar geen kennis des Woords .to be possessed. The two accounts are then not con-
is,  da& is ook geen geestelijke kracht, om  zich tot           trary. Together they form a complete narrative of
den strijd aan te gorden. De geschiedenis der Kerk              what took place.
heeft het altijd weer bewezen, waar weinig of geen              The place whence the spies were sent was the
kennis is van het Woord Gods, daar glijdt. men zoo wilderness of  Paran. As the people had encamped but
gemakkelijk van het spoor af en lost zich.:  straks' ge-        twice; this, place could be at no great- distance from
heel'"en  al in de wereld op. God's volk  meet.  alleen         Sinai. Let us observe in this connection that the notice
willen  wonen, dan is zij veilig.                               at Numbers 10 : 12 is to the effect that "the children of
       Met het oog op dat einde, zal het dan ook niet  moei-    Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of
lijk zijn, om staande te blijven in den strijd, indien we       Sinai ;" and that, "the cloud rested in the wilderness
aan de hierboven gestelde eischen voldoen.           Dan is of Paran", the next resting-place ; but that at Numbers
er ook troost en een snhoon vooruitzicht, Want hoe              12:16  the narrative reads, "And afterward the people
het dan ook verder gaan moge, de overwinning is                 removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness
zeker. Eigenlijk is geheel die strijd der eeuwen nooit of  Paran." So, according to the former notice, this
anders dan middel, om die overwinning, door den                 wilderness was the first station beyond Sinai on the
Heiland op Golgotha behaald, tot volle openbaring te journey northward from Sinai to Kadesh, while ac-
brengen.                                                        cording to the scripture last quoted this station was not
       En daarom met opgeheven hoofde dien dag tege-            reached until  ,after the people had removed from
moet in het volle vertrouwen, dat de Heere Zijne tHazeroth,  the fourth resting-place. The only,  solution
g&&de  niet zal doen ontbreken aan hen, die in Zijne            is that when the people again came to rest after the
wegen wandelen.                                                 departure from Sinai, they found themselves in the
                                                  w. v.  .'     wilderness of Paran, and that when they again pitched
                                      ,.,..                     after removing from Hazeroth, they still found them-
                                     .)                         selves in this same wilderness, so that this wilderness
                                                                must be imagined to have included all the stations at
                                   ,-  ,.  .                    which the people rested  on that stretch of the journey
                                                                that lied between Sinai and the first encampment be-
            Tried  And Found Wanting                            yond  Hazeroth  northward, and that thus the expression
                                                                wilderness of Paran",  as occurring at Numbers 10  :12,
       "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Send thou signifies the wilderness as a whole, while the same
men, that'they  may search the land of' Canaan, which expression, as found at Numbers 12:16, is to be taken
I give. unto the children of Israel." Numbers 13  :l. as the name of a specific spot in it.
       According to this notice, Moses acted in response          `* There-  were in all twelve spies selected from all
to anexpress command of God, when he sent forth the             the'tribes,  so that each tribe was to be informed by
spies, while according to a statement found in his              evidence submitted by one of its own tribesmen. If
first farewell address to the people, this action was the'choice  were restricted to some of the tribes only,
taken by ,him because the people had so requested. those passed over might question the reliability of the
"And when `we departed from Horeb, we went through spies and, as moved by jealousy and spite, refuse to
all that great and terrible wilderness, which' ye saw           give credence to their report. The persons selected
by the way of the mountain of the ,Amorites,  as the            were men of high rank, "heads of the children of
Lord our God commanded us: and we `came to Kadesh-              Israel," whose word on this account had weight'uith
barnea.  And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the              the people..' The names of the appointees and the.


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      377

 tribe to which each belonged are revealed, and this        be maintained. For two centuries or more the people
 to the enduring shame of the ten.                          had been living quietly and sumptuously in the land of
    Before sending the spies away, Moses instructs          Goshen.  Now such living is all but conducive to the
them as follows, "Get you up this way by the south-         we&being  of a people, to the strengthening and de-
 land and go up into the mountain: and see the land, velopment of its manly vigor. Then, the spirit of this
 what it is; and the people that  dwelleth therein,         people had been cowed by many decades of hard op-
 whether they be strong or weak, few or many; and           pression. It was as a crowd of slaves that the children
what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good of Israel had left Egypt. Yet they were now being
 or Ibad ; and what cities they be that. they dwell in,     called upon to extirpate, through a sustained military
whether in tents or in strongholds; and what the land effort, the cursed tribes that infested Canaan. And
 is, whether it be fat or I.ean, whether there be wood the people in this land were many indeed. And they
therein or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring dwelt in strongholds impregnable, so that, from the
of the fruit of ke land". (Num. 13.:1'7-20).                point of view of nature, the undertaking was doomed
    It is to be observed that the Lord had commanded        to failure. Yet it had to  suezeed,  as the battle was
Moses in this language, "Send thou men that they may        to be the Lord's. So, the venture had to be one of
search the land of Canaan", (Num. 13  :l-  2a) . It         faith, of trust in the power and willingness of the Lord
strikes us that the instruction of Moses to the spies is    to give victory. Did they possess this faith? Were
remarkably detailed as compared with the Lord's com- they capable of being willing to go foreward  as relying
mand to Moses. Now the stand that these  detaas             on His promise ? The Lord was resolved to try them,
originated not with the Lord but with the people, so        So He ordered the spies to be sent. Let them explore
that in charging the spies, Moses was simply employ- the land and report their findings to the people. Hav-
ing the language in which the people had couched their      ing learned all the facts; let thein  say what thejr will
request, will not at all do. The only permissable stand do. This was the Lord's reason for sending  them spies.
is that now, too, Moses spake by divine inspiration as Also in telling them to see whether the land was good
well as when he communicated to them the law and            or bad, Moses did well. Appearing to Moses in the
ad.monished  them in his parting addresses, and that        burning bush some forty years previous, the Lord,
thus the Lord approved of his speech. These details         speaking of this land, had said to him, "I am come
then, though as to their substance at least they had down to deliver them out of the land of the Egyptians
also been voiced by the people, must be taken to have       and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land
been put in Moses' mouth by the Lord. The point is and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey."
that Moses did well in telling them to ascertain            The people were now standing on the edge of this
whether the land was good or bad, fat or lean; whether land. Let them then, as believing what the Lord had
the people that dwelt there were strong or weak, few said,  nox see for themselves just how wonderfully good
or many ; and whether they dwelt in tents or in strong- that land was.
holds.    But we naturally ask: how could Moses be             As was said, the people themselves, too, wanted the
doing well? What need was there of this information land explored before the commencement of the conflict.
as far as the outcome of the war was concerned? The Did they because they had learned that the Lord want-
battle was not Israel's but the Lord's. Military skill      ed it too? The way they talked to Moses is against
and human prowess, such as they might have possess-         this view. Coming to Moses, they say, "We will send
ed, would tell, but only because the Lord was to fight      men before us that they may search out the land. . . ."
for them. Moses understood this. Therefore his initial      They do.not  ask or request but reveal what they by
command to the people had been that they go up to           themselves have resolves to do. In response to Moses'
possess the land. What need was there for their know- exhortation that they now go up and posses the land,
ing beforehand whether the Canaanites dwelt in strong- they say, "Nay, not so, but me will first send men to
holds, if He who was to lead them in battle was the         search that land." Why should  they  have insisted on
Lord? What need was there of their being given op- this? What need was there for them  to know whether
portunity to ascertain for themselves what the virtue the inhabitants of Canaan dwelt in tents or in strong-
of Canaan's soil was?  T,hey  had long ago been told        holds, if the battle was the Lord's? Not that the re-
by the Lord that it was a land flowing with milk and        quest that the land be searched was as such sinful.
thoney.  Should this witness not have sufficed? Should It `could spring from (believing prudence. But in their
they not have been ready to go forward solely by their      case, it sprang from fear and therefore anticipated
faith in this word? Was Moses not suggesting, through their revolt. But even apart from their fear, they had
his instructing the spies as he did, that the people        no desire to war God's warfare because they loved not
place in the room of God's witness the testimony of         God. Their wish was that the spies would have to
sense? Assuredly not. That he  charged,the  spies as        report that the land was bad and that its inhabitants
he did was of the Lord. Moses- did well. This must were many. Such were their fears, which they hoped


  373                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

  would not turn out to be groundless. Then there would granates and the figs they brought with them and re-
  be to them some plausible excuses for their refusal to turned from their search. They had been gone forty
  go up and possess the land that had been promised                 days, during which time they must have travelled as
  them. Not thai they despised that land. Why should much as six hundred miles. Rehob lay in the extreme
  they?  It was a good land indeed. However, if they                north of Palestine, so that they had gone up and
  had to choose between returning to Egypt or living out            down the entire length of Canaan, a distance of ap-
  their lives in the wilderness on the one hand and                 proximately 175 miles. So, they had really marChed
  possessing that good land in the way of a conflict from hard and done their work well.
  the point of nature doomed to failure but bound to'be                Coming to Moses and Aaron and to all the con-
  successmu  if waged by faith in God, on the other gregation, the men brought in their report. There
  hand, they would choose the former. Herewith has                  were two reports, one submitted by the ten and the
  been disclosed the reason that the people had for                 other submittedby Caleb and Joshua. The ten ad-
  sending the spies. They were looking for excuses.                 dress the audience. thus, "We came unto the land
     Moses, himself believing and therefore unafraid,               whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with
  little suspected that, in clamoring for men to search milk and honey; and this is the fruit of-it.  Never-
  them out the land, the people were being driven by theIess the people be strong that dwell in the land,
  fear. So, when they came to him to  tell him what and the cities are walled, and very great; and more-
  they would have him do, he heard them out in good over we saw the children of Anak there. The Amale-
  faith. Their saying even pleased him well and he con- kites dwell in the land of the south; and the Hittites,
  cluded that it would be the part of wisdom to do as               and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell- in the
  they suggested. They ,were  careful to hide from him mountains ; and the Canaanites  dwell.by  the sea, and
  their real intention. They said  not&in-g  that as much by the coast of the Jordan."
  as suggested even that they dreaded a conflict with                  Having said this; the spokeman of the ten keeps
  the Canaanites. To the contrary, &hey took pains to               silence. Whether he would speak again depended upon
  couch their request in a language, designed to leave the          whether the other two had anything to say in addition
  impression that they were quite ready and that all that           and if they had what it would be.
  held them back was their. lack of information respect-               The people have now heard. And what they heard
  ing the lay of the cities of the land to be possessed. Of greatly agitated them, as is evident from the notice
  this information they had need, they said, in order that immediately following, "And Caleb stilled the people".
  they might know what way they had to go up and in                 But was the reporter to be blamed for the way his
  which cities `they should come. As armed with this                words had effected the people? The men had been
  information, they would go up and possess the land                instructed to find out all about the land and its people,
  without delay. It can be understood therefore that                so that the report that they have just brought in is
their saying pleased Moses and that, in compliance                  precisely the kind of report that they were asked to
  with their request, he sent the spies. However, as it prepare. And what they said about the cities and the
  is inconceivable that Moses would take this step on his           inhabitants was undoubtedly true.       And the tribes
  own initiative or simply because the people so re-                that they said dwelt in that land actually did dwell
  quested, it must be conjectured that the Lord made                there. Yet in reporting as they just did these men
  known  .His2:will respecting the matter prior to the              commit a grievous sin. They went further than to
  people's voicing their request in Moses' audience, so set forth the untarnished facts. Attend to what they
  that the principal reason why the people's saying                 said, "sureIy  it (the land) floweth with milk and
  pleased him is that what the Lord willed they also honey. . . . Nevertheless. . . . ..Moreover . . . . . . . ..." If
  willed. The order of events we must therefore imagine they had completed their reasoning, they would have
  to have been thus : 1. Moses commands the people to go            ended up with saying, "So, what difference does it
  up and possess the land ; 2. The Lord reveals to Moses            make, as far as we are concerned, whether the land
  That it is IHis will that the land be first explor,ed ; 3. The    ,be good or bad. It can at no time become ours. For
  request of the people that the land be first explored ; the people in it be strong and their cities walled and
 4. Moses, in compliance with God's command and the great, so that any attempt on our part to possess it,
  people's request, sends the spies.                                would be nothing short of suicidal for our people."
         The spies set out. They searched the  Iand from            Such  assuredIy  was their finished argument which
  the wilderness of Zin to Rehob. Ascending by the                  they purposely had refrained from finishing, as they
  south, they came unto Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, in all likelihood wanted. it said that they had remained
  and Talmai,.  the children of Anak were. They next strickly  objective in their reporting. So all they did
  came to the brook of Eshcol, where they cut down a                was to set forth the premise of their reasoning and
  branch with one cluster of grapes, which two of them trusted that the people would know how to complete
  bare between them upon a staff. Also of the  pome-                the argument. Even if they had only told what they


                                                                                 .

                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                     379          F

had seen, and allowed the people to judge for them-        "And all the people we saw in it are men of  grea't        .
selves, they would have done wrong. For as rulers          stature. And there we saw  the.-giants,  the sons of
their duty was to encourage the people. But instead,       Anak, which qoxpe of the giants: and we were In our
they discourage them, through their conveying very own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were m their
decided opinions without really expressing any.            sight." They allow, the people to imagine just how
   As to the people, they were quick to sense the im- great the stature of these sons were. The  qu&stion
port of that  nevertheless  and  moreover  and eager to is asked whether the sons of Anak, of which, according
follow the argument to the end. For the men had ,to the sacred narrator, there were three (verse 22 of
spaken  according to their hearts. There was complete chapter  13)) are to be thought of as persons  &- as  *
understanding between them and these heads. All clans. "The most natural understanding of the bible
were agreed that the tribes inhabiting the promised        statements is to the effect that they were  per$onal
land could never be dispossessed. Yet this  man Moses leaders among the  Anakin at Hebron." The  @ate-
and a few others insisted that they could. They ought ment about the grasshoppers was not, of course, meant
to know better. So, it is certain, the people had now to be taken literally. The comparison served to  c&ate
begun to reason among themselves. The ten men had the impression that the inhabitants of Canaan  ani in
thus accomplished their purpose. Their words had           particular the giants were men of enormous sta&re
taken effect. For they were heads among the people and strength so that the Israelites were no  mat+  $or
and their words had weight.                                them.
   Two of the few in the camp who believed that God           IHaving  had their say, the ten spies are silent.
would give victory, were Caleb and Joshua, also of the The people may now publicly voice their oppositjon
number who had searched the land. The people had to making war on the Canaaliites, without anyone: in
crowded around Moses and were letting him know the camp being able to justly accuse them of coward-
how they felt and what they thought. The under- ice. So they must have reasoned. For the venture
taking could never succeed. They were certain of it. has been exposed as foolhardy in the extreme. Th&
And the longer Moses held out against them, maintain- will now have to be admitted by all. So, as emboldenqd
ing the contrary, the more excited they became. Caleb by the report of the ten spies, the people burst out in&
now spoke up in the attempt to still "the people before loud crying. They weep all night and intersperse their
Moses". The substance of what .he said is recorded, sobs with the saying, "Would God that we had di&
"Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well     in the land of Egypt! or, would God that we had di&
able to overcome it." The notice, "And Caleb stilled in this wildernebs. And wherefore hath the  LOI$
the people before Moses", may mean that the people brought us into this land, to fall by the sword, thas
were attending to what he was saying and that thus our wives and'our children should be  a  prey? Were'q
his words were taking effect. At least, so it must have not better for us to return unto Egypt?" So do the$
seemed to the other spies.     For interrupting Caleb,     demonstrate their feelings in the hearing of Moses and
they say with considerable vehemence, it must be Aaroti. To one another they say, "Let us make a  ~apf
imagined; "We be not able to go up against the people ;    tain  and return unto Egypt." What then would  the;
for they are stronger  than we."  Had they, the first      do with Moses ? In all likelihood there was born in
time they spoke, minced words, expressed themselves their soul the resolve to kill him. That there is murder
guardedly, in a kind of veiled speech, on account of in their hearts is evident from this that presently they
their reluctance to being held responsible for the re- goad on those standing nearest to the faithful four
actions of the people, they now cast off all restraint,    to stone them with stones.
and say just what they think. So determined are they          Why do the people react as they do? Because they
to have their way with the people, that they now bring are so afraid of the Canaanites?, This is not the only
yp "a slander upon the land," that is, say things about reason. It need not be denied that the  people are
Canaan that are not true, "And they brought'an evil afraid. IHowever,  it is to be observed that when they
report upon the land which they had searched unto the are told that for punishment they will have to live
children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we out their lives in the wilderness, they say, "Lo, we  be
have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the       here, and will go up unto the place which the Lord
inhabitants thereof ." This is a strange expression. hath promised." Moses warns them that the under-
It is doubtful whether it had definite meaning for the taking will not prosper. But they wilI not listen. So,
people. But it is an evil-sofinding  statement and there- rising up early, in the morning they get them up to the
fore suited the purpose of these men, which was to top of the mountain with a view to joining battle with
stir up resentment against' the land of promise. What the Amalekites:and  the Canaanites, who dwell in the
they declare must be equivalent to saying that the in- valley, with  thezesult that they are discomfited "even
habitants wore themselves out wrestling a living from unto  Hormah.`?. ,These are now the people who were
the soil of their land. The ten men went on to say,        so afraid! - What, are we to make of their fright? It


  may have been grtzat. But it was not great enough to cliildre&--by  the sword of the Canaanites. But how
  deter them in their determination to render void, could they have been sincere in deploring this fact?
  through warfare, mark you, the resolution of God to They could not. For their lives in Egy)t had been a
  the effect that their carcesses  fall in the desert. Such liting death, and, what is more, they did not actually
  masters are they  *of their fright that. they can break believe in their hearts that the Lord was intending to
  its hold on them at will and seemingly with little effort.        slay them by the sword of the Canaanites. The proof
  Amazing! It shows that the vile fountain of their of this is that, in defiance of the Lord's conimand and
  tears was not a natural diead of a proposed conflict. in spite of Moses' warning, they g0 forth to make war
  There is such a natural dread, fright, terror. Chi=st             on the Canaanites that divelt in the valley. All that
  knew it, when His hour had come. But in His dr'ead                they really wanted is to be freed from the necessity of
  of His approaching suffering, He blasphemed not, as this strife, not because they actually believed in their
  did those Jews, but glorified God through His prayer hearts that they were to perish in it, but because, being
  that God's wili  Ebe done. Such  nattiral   dread, fright,        devoid of true faith and thus of love of God, they were
  by itself sinless, causes  the man who has faith to press unwilling to'cooperate  witli God in cleansing the land
  eve?  cl&e?  to the side of God. What caused those  Jews          of the depraved ra& of ni& by whdni this lafid wis
  to  caI;ry on  ris they- did  w&s  ctirndl   fedr.  Now'  tlie    being  cori;upted.      These rices had now to be  dis-
  ingre'dientg  of this fear are:  tinbelief,  hatred of God,       posz%sscd.  The  peoljle   @?&f&-r&d  to' have. the Lord
  malice, carnal anger, willing ignorance. Those Jews               attend to that alone. Bee%&  the Lol'd willed other-
 `had no faith. They were  dtioid of  love of  God;  TO wise, they tiere furidtis. Ail their dhholy comniotion
  express this positively is to say that they hated Him.            was, in the filial instaiice, repi-tiSe'titativ6  of an attetipt
  Hence their speech was hard. Through His  contixiuing on' their part to induce the hrix fd give them ttieir way.
  to drdp His goodnesses b&fol;e  their feet on the way,            Bdt they went to6 f&f. In tlieir ctirnai rage they said,
  God' had lured them on and on until He fhially had                in the Lord's ears,  what they  r&ally did  tiot mean
  them in IHis trap, on the edge of Canaan, where the               namely, that thejr pi;&ferred to die iti tlie wilderness.
  grafid slaughter was  ti, take  pIa&. This is their ac- The Lord tdok theti  at  thei? word. * Said he, "As truly
  cusation. Such a speech can have but one fouritairi- as I live, as y% have spoken in mitie ea?S, s6 will I do
  carnal hatred, malice. They make God out fdP a lying to you, your carcasses shall fall in this wiIdertiess."
  deity. The Lord had said to them by the mouth' of By this wofd, they were brought to their senses. They
  Moses,  !`I have surely seen the affliction of my people' now `said, "We  hirve  siniied.  If  Gsd  itiists  tliat we
  which are in Egypt. . . . and I am come down to de- fight our Way into Canaan, well and good. Here we
  liver  thein out of the hand of the Egyptiaris,  and to           be". But they leii-n to their great soi?oW  thha;f. their
  bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a             finally  resol+ihg  to do as God  tiiiled,  u%s unavailiiig.
  large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. . . ."            Their czll;ca$ses  .&ill and do fall in the wilderfiess.
  So `had the Lord spoken. But accordirig  to those weep-               Such tXefi  vtrlis the hard sueech  of the people. Such
  ing Israelites, God had tiot meant a word of it. In His their ungr%el%lntiss,  their hypocrhcy,  their unbelief,
. giving them this promise, He was sirhply  baiting them, their anger and wrath.                                          G. M .O.
  -He,  JehovBh.  He -had delivered them  Iby His out-
  stretched arm, and taken them to His  bossom  at Mount
  Sinai.     He was daily appeasing their hunger with                           GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
  manna from heaven and quenching their thirst with                                            1891 - 1941
  water from the rock. But they now saw His real                        May 28th; 1941, the Lord willing, our dear  @afents,
  motive behind all these doings. Did the people actually              JACOB H. HOEKSTRA an&  IDA HOEKSTRA-Jdllema
  believe what they said about. God?  Assuj?edIy   not.             hope  td  commemorate their 50th yea?  wedding   annitershry.
  What brought this hard speech upon their tongue was                   We extend to them our sincere congratulations and pray
  their carnal wrath. They were angry with God be-                  that the Lord may continue to bless them and.to  spare them for
  cause He willed  tliat they possess Canaan  throukh               each other and us yet a feiv  make  yegrs, as thi Lord may please.
  conflict. What tliey  had wanted the Lor;`d to do is to                                   Their gr%teful  children :
  extirpate by  Himself  the  trilbes  dwelling in  &naan,                                          Mr.  and'M+s.  Harry J. Hoekstra
  and                                                                                               Mr. arid Mrs. Williiim-.F.  Ho&k&a
          thus  allow  thein  to take possession of the land
  .svithout  any struggle on their part. And now they set                                           Mr. and  Mr`s. John Vanderbilt
  their mouth tigairist heaven and taunted God, because                                             M;. and Mrs. John Te6 Hoe?
  Ke wouldn't do as they wanted.                                                                    Mr. and Mrs. Oweh De Young
     The people also deplored the fact that they had not                                            and 8 grandchildren.
  died a natural death in Egypt or a like death in the Open  House at 252 West 109th Place, Chicagu,  Illinois, from
  wilderness in that such a death, so they sai$, "was pre-          3 to 5 and 7 to 10 P. X, the 28th of May.
  ferable to,their  falling-they and the&wives and their Box 254, South Holland, Illinois.


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D  BEA.RER                                              881

                                                              that large country thou shalt die." Such was the sen-
           The Prophecy Of Isaiah                          . tence the Lord pronounced upon the nation.
                                                                 The reason for this impending catastrophe is the
   The purpose of this discourse is given in chap. 40  :, nation's covenant infidelity. It has forsaken the Lord,
"Comfort ye my people, saith your God. The prophecy provoked the Koly One of Israel to anger by its revolt.
of Isaiah is a prophecy of comfort. Let this statement        It has gone astray. (chap. 1).
not be misunderstood. The meaning is not that the                However, in this wicked nation is hidden a rem-
discourses of the other prophets have no comfort for          nant.. It formed together with the reprobated shell
the believers or that it was not the mission of these         the one nation upon which the Lord would empty the
others to speak comfortable words; what is meant is vials .of His wrath. The remnant had also made itself
that the prophesy  of Isaiah is pre-eminently a prophecy guilty of death by its  back&dings.  The sins of the
of comfort and that he more than the others gave              nation'are also its sins,
utterance to comforting speech.                   .               However for this remnant the prophet has a good
   That he did so is due to the immense scope of his          word of comfort; which when lying in the midst of
prophetic discourse. He saw clearer than any of the           death it will embrace and wait for.the salvation of the
others what constitutes the hearts of redemption. His Lord.
horizon was wonderfully large and extended ; his in-              The nucleus of this comfort : Her (Jerusalem's)
sight into the economy of redemption marvelously pro- recompence  is accomplished, her iniquity is pardoned,
found. To him the Spirit of God lay bare the very she hath received from the Lord's hand double for  al1
core of salvation. Of all the prophets he alone de- her sins. The Lord will come with a strong hand and
clared: But he was wounded for our transgressions,            his arm shall rule for him. Behold, his reward is
he was bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement       with him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd.
of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are          (Chap. 40).
healed (Is. 53)                                                   Herewith we have given the keynote of this entire
  Of all the prophets he had most clearly before his eye prophetic discourse. It may be expressed thus: Com-
the blessed state of affairs on the new earth, the earth      fort my people about to descend into the pit of death.
as cleansed from the godless race that now defiles it.        Comfort them by giving my word of pardon, deliver-
Says he: The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and         ance, and eternal bliss. So then, what sets this pro-
the Ieopard shall lie down with the kid; . . . (Is. 11)       phetic discourse apart is that it is pre-eminently a
   Throughout this discourse the true remnant ap-             word of comfort consisting in the promise of pardon
pears as a people approaching a time that was to be- and salvation for a people in the throes of death.
come for it a most wretched present. The Lord is                  It is to be noticed that in this 40th chapter Israel
about to come -with His judgments ; He shall bring upon       appears as atoning for its own sin. After it will have
the house of David days that have not come from the           died and will thus have suffered the penalty of its sin,
day that Ephraim departed from  3udah. It shall come           it will be pardoned and again be raised to a state of
to pass in that day that the Lord shall hiss a fly that       glory.
is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt and               In the sequence of this discourse (chap. 42) Israel
for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. Where there the servant  .of Jehovah who atones for its sins is nar-
were a thousand vines, there shall be briars and thorns.       rowed down to a single individual-personal servant
All the land shall become briars and thorns. (chap. 7).        of Jehovah-who is bruised for our iniquities. (Chap.
The women and the careless daughters shall be troubled         43).
and tremble. Burning shall be upon all the houses                 Herewith we have given the themes of this dis-
of the joyous city. The palaces shah be forsaken.              course. They are: sin, judgment, repentance, redemp-
    Forts and towers shall be for dens forever. a joy of       tion, b lessedness. Upon these themes Isaiah has more
wild asses, a pasture of flocks. (chap. 32). The coun- to say than the other prophets.
try shall be desolate, cities burned with fire, strangers         What according to the prophet is the charazter  of
shall devour the land. It shaIl be desolate, overthrown        this redemption? The answer is found in the very
by strangers. The Lord will carry His people away              first chapter: Zion shall be redeemed with judgment
with a mighty captivity. He will surely violently turn and her converts with righteousness. The entire dis-
and toss His people 1Be a ball in a large country ; He         course is nothing else than an exposition of this denlar-
will drive it from its station, and from its state shall       ation.
He-&l it down. (chap. 22).                                        As was said, the book of Isaiah is pre-eminently
    These  ar&.ut  examples of the many doleful descrip- a book of comfort. For this reason its outstanding
tions with which  thediscourse is interspersed. The            theme as-compared with the prophecy of Jeremiah, e.g.
total of ail these woes is regarded as Israel's death.         is salvation. Fact is, that by far the greater part
Saith the Lord by the mouth of his prophet  : "There, in       of this discourse has to do with this theme. A skan-


382                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

ning of the contents of this discourse brings this out.     future, from preaching repentance to preaching glory.
       Israel's reiation to Assyria, the representative of The rise of the heavenly sun of life upon Jerusalem
the world-power in general  described   : The prophetic and the new personal and natural life conditioned
perspective of the time of Ahaz ; the prophecy of Im-       thereby. The personal center of the revelation of sal-
manuel, the son of a virgin. Isaiah gives the whole         vation. The prophet in spirit puts himself in the place
`bation  a sign by the birth of her son,  Mahershalal-      of the exiled church and brings its cause in prayer be-
hasbaz. Additions : Despisers of Shiloh shall be punish-    fore the Lord. The death and life-bringing period.
ed by the whters of Euphrates. Threatening warning             A glance at the above scheme is sufficient to con-
%o those that conspire against Judah, and to those that     vince one that the principal theme of this prophecy is
fear the conspirators. The testament of the prophet to salvation.        It is this theme that constitutes the dia-
his disciples, Threatening of judgment to be accom-         course as a whole as a message of comfort.
plished by Assyria directed against the Israel of the          TQe above scheme also brings out the truth of the
t%n tribes. Assyria's destruction ; Israel's salvation :    assertion that.the  divine announcement found in 40:2:
Woe against Assyria. Israel's redemption from As-           "Cry out unto her that he recompence  is aocomplished,
syria. Israel's redemption in relation to the Messiah.      that her iniquity is pardoned for she hath received of
 .,  T,he prophecies against foreign nations. The dis-      the Lord's hand double for all her sins," is the founda-
course against individual nations : Babylon, Assyria,       tion truth upon which the prophet continues to build
Philistia, Moab,  Damascus, Ephraim, Ethiopia, Egypt.       until the' entire truth-structure of salvation stands
The second prophecy against Babylon, then prophecies before us in all its grandeur completed.
against Edom, Arabia, Jerusalem and the chamberlain            Let us now attend to the character of this salvation.
Shebna. The fma1 of the prophecies against the na- The assertion was made that rightly considered the
tions. Relation of Israel to Assyria in the time of         entire discourse is an exposition of the divine an-
king Hezekiah. The conclusion of the first part of the      nouncement that Zion shall be redeemed with judg-
book. Historical pieces containing the  concIusion  of ment and her converts with righteousness. Let us
the Assyrians and the preparation for the Babylonian        now show that this is true. The announcement implies
period.                                                     that Zion is in bondage for her sin. In his discourse
       The entire future salvation beginning with re- the prophet describes Zion's sin. The entire discourse
demption from the Babylonian exile, concluding with is interspersed :with woeful descriptions of her apos-
the creation of a new heaven and a new earth. These tacies. Zion's captor is the godless world-power that
last 26 chapters deal almost exclusively with salvation.    takes on flesh and blood in the surrounding heathen
The  objecctive  and  su,bjective  basis of redemption.     nations, chief of which is Assyria. In the grip of this
First-appearance of the Redeemer from the east and power Israel is considered dead. This power of course
of the servant of Jehovah. Also the first and se:ond        is the scourge of Jehovah. From the grip of this cap-
use of the prophecy relating to this in proof of the        tor Zion will be redeemed. To redeem means to buy
divinity of Jehovah. The third chief figure, the per- back with a price.
sonal Servant of Jehovah, in the contrasted features of        In chapter 40 Zion is set forth as herself paying
his appearance.       Redeption in its entire compass.      this price. As was said, however, in the sequence
Prophecy as proof of divinty comes to the front and         Zion is narrowed down to the personal Servant of
culminates in the name of Cyrus. (44 :6-28). The fall       Jehovah who by His suffering atones .for Zion's sins
of the Babylonian gods and the gain of' Israel's know- and by His blood buys her from the captor.
ledge of God that will be derived therefrom. The well-         Israel's death consists in her being held captive
-deserved and inevitable overthrow of Babylon.              and tormented by the ungodly world-power. It is to this
       The personal Servant of Jehovah. Parallel between ungodly world-power that the announcement, Zion will
the personal Servant of Jehovah and Zion. Both have be redeemed by judgment, must first be made to apply.
a small beginning and a great end. The connection be- This worldly power, through the rod of God's anger for
tween the guilt of Israel and the sufferings of the         the chastisement and punishment of Zion, God will
Servant of Jehovah, and the liberation from the form- judge. In persecuting Zion the world fills its measure
er through the latter. The final redemption of Israel. %f iniquity and makes itself ripe for judgment. Its
A dialogue between the Servant of Jehovah who enters        destruction is a matter of divine necessity. Being
as if veiled, Israel, Jehovah and the prophet. The          righteous God cannot condone the abuse heaped by
restoration of the city of Jerusalem. Golgotha. The         the world on  ,His people. What is done to Zion is
new salvation. The new way of appropriating sal-            done to Him. It is God's heritage that is being spoiled.
vation. The moral, social and physical fruits of the Hence He will ease Himself upon the enemies of His
new way of salvation. A look at the mournful present people. Through the destruction of this power, Zion
which will not hinder the coming of the glorious future.    is saved.
       The new creature : Bridge from the present to the       For the above reason the prophet is bidden to speak


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against the nations surrounding Israel and to predict that had originated with the patriarchs ,and that,
their speedy overthrow. As we have seen, there are          being what it was, a symbolical-typical mstitution,  it
discourses against Babyon,  Assyria, Philistia, Moab,       vanished away with the death of Christ upon the cross.
Damascus, Ethiopia, Egypt, Edom and Tyre. It should The reverend maintained the contrary. `:;
be borne in mind that these nations are the type and           Let us now briefly examine some of  the remaining
representative of the ungodly world-power of all ages. arguments of the reverend in favor of tithing.
   However, if according to the promise made unto              Argument 3 (in part), "An Old  Test%ment  prin-
Abraham, all the nations of the earth were to be blessed    ciple or custom which the New Testament idoes not re-
in Him, what then is to become of this prediction if        peal, directly or indirectly, must be held to be still
the nations are to be destroyed? The answer: In each valid."
nation is hidden an elect nucleus counted for the              My difficulty. Tithing, being as it  w@, a  sym-
nation. It is to this nucleus that God calls, Come unto     boiical-typical institution, was repealed. Let us con-
me all ye ends of the earth and be saved. This call is sider in this connection also the following.              In the
heeded. The Gentiles in this discourse appear as turn- Old Testament dispensation there were two -kinds of
ing unto the Lord. For the two aforesaid reasons, the sacred dues: I) those the amount of which was fixed by
heathen nations assumed so prominent a place in law (such as the tithes) ; 2) those, the amount of which
Isaiah's prophecy.                        G. M .O.          was not fixed by law. The latter were  calledivoluntary
                                                            or free-will offerings. The commandment  reads,  "And
                           -                                thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the,:,Lord  thy
                                                            God with a tribute afea free-will offering of thine hand,
                                                            which thou shalt give unto the Lord thy God, &cording
                   Why Not Tithe?                           as  fRe La?d thy God huth blessed thee" (Deuti  16  :lO)  .
                                                            Now it is worthy of note that the apostle Pa'!1 places
   As I already remarked, so reads the caption of the New Testament church under the  nece$+sity  of
an editorial appearing in  The--Banner  for April 11.       bringing only the free-will offering.  (His  adr@onition
The author of the writing is Rev. H. 3. Kuiper,  editor to the church at Corinth reads, "Upon the firs% day of
in chief of The Banner.                                     the week let each one of you lay by him in stor$ as he
   The Brother advances several reasons why Ghris-          vmy prosper. . .  ." (I  Gor. 16  :2). "As he  rnah pros-
                                                                                                               .>>
tians do well to practice tithing. He invites his readers per". is equivalent in meaning to the expression, "Ac-
to give special consideration to his arguments in favor cording as the Lord hath blessed him." Now {if the
"of this time-honored method of contributing to the         Lord, as the reverend maintains, were still  ex&ting
needs of the kingdom of God". As I wrote, I have            His people to bring, in addition to the  voluntary'ioffer-
given special consideration to the reverend's arguments ing, also the offering the exact amount of which was
in favor of tithing. I trusted and still trust that the fixed by law, it would' have to be considered sti-ange
brother will bear with me in my saying that I have that He did not, by the mouth of His apostles, tell'them
some difficulty with these arguments of his and that        so. This would have to be considered strange in view
he will not object to my using our magazine to reveal of the fact that He did tell New Testament believers to
these' difficulties to him. There are in all six arguments bring the free-will offering. There is a reason w,hy the
to be examined. To some of them attention has already Lord refrained from fixing for New Testament be-
been directed in the article preceding. We saw -that        lievers the e.xact  amount `-that they must give. This
the reverend's argument to the effect that tithing,         reason is that, with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit,
*whereas  it was practiced since earliest times; long be- the church attained to spiritual majority. So, to main-
fore the coming of the law by Moses, is not  to be tain, as does the reverend, that God still expects His
regarded as a symbolical-typical institution that waxed believing people to give the tenths, is to lose sight of
old and vanished away with the sau5fic.e of Christ upon the fact that the church is no longer a spiritual
the cross-this argument, we saw, does not hold. minor.
For if this reasoning were true, we could, with equal          Argument  4, "Though tithing is not taught in -the
propriety, conclude that the sacrifice by animal blood, New Testament the principle of proportionate giving
whereas it was brought by the church since earliest which it emphasizes does not exclude it but rather re-
times, long before the coming of the ceremonial law by      quires it. Proportionate giving means giving in pro-
Moses, was not a symbolical-typical institution, that       portion to our financial ability. Paul enunciates this
vanished away with the death of Christ, and that there-     principle, for exampIe,  in I Gor. 16:2: "Upon the first
fore New Testament believers should still be bringing       day of the week let each one of you lay by him in
this sacrifice.                                             store, as he may prosper.
   It was also made plain that tithing was indeed a            "Now this principle of proportionate giving, if it
ceremonial law and thus not simply a custom or usage is to be applied. successfully, requires for its proper


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    realization the use of a certain method or system of                This raises the question whether in this dispensa-
    proportionate giving. But this method should not be              tion, it may not be possitively wrong to tithe. It is
    one of our own devising. In deter mining the propor-             wrong for a man to give the tenths, if, through his
    tion of our income which we feel we should set aside             doing so, he takes the bread out of his children's
    for'the Lord, we need some sort of divine guidance;              mouths. Such a (poor) man should not tithe.
    else how would a believer #know  whether to devote one-             It is wrong for a rich man to tithe, unless he sup-
    half or one-hundreth of his income to kingdom pm-                plements his tithing by the free-will offering. Doing
    poses. Here lies the significance for the New Testa- so, he is not actually tithmg, but is giving "as he pros-
    ment believer of the system of tithing."                         pered", "as the Lord blessed him". The error of Rev.
           My difficulty. Let us get before us Paul's  exhorta-      H. J.. Kuiper. is that he places in the room of the free-
    tion'to the Corinthians, "Upon the first day of the week         will offering (giving as one has prosper ed) the giving
    let each one of you lay by him in  stor'e, as he may of the tenths, thus an offering the exact size of which
".  1 prosper. . .  ." What now is the meaning of the clause,        was tied by the law.
    "as he may prosper". According to the reverend this
    means: giving in proportion to one's financial ability.             The reverend (Kuiper) wrote that in determining
    It means, in other words, to give in proportion to what          the proportion of our income which we feel we  shoulcl
    one is able to give; can give. Here is a brother who             set aside for the Lord we need some sort of divine
    can very easily give $500. for kingdom causes ; this             guidance, and that just here lies the signfiicance for
    sum of money represents his financial ability. But               New Testament believers of the system of tithing.
    what the Lord  requir'es  of him, according to the rever-        The system gives them the needed guidance. It tells
    end, is that he give only in proportion to this sum, that- them just how much they must give, namely, the
    is, the tenth part of it. Now I wonder whether this is t.enths, not the fifteenths, nor the twentieths, but the
    what `Paul meant by the clause, "as he may prosper"?             tenths.
    It can't be. The plain meaning of this clause is not                True `it. is that the believers need some sort of
    "in proportion to his financial ability", but it means,          guidance. But the system of tithing does not give this
    `&cord&g  to his financial ability; so that if he can            guidance, nor did Moses introduce it for this `purpose.
    give $500. that is exactly w,hat he should give and not          The proof that he did not is that he added to the system
    one tenth of this sum."                                          of Tithing the free-will offerings.
           In The Banner for April 25 there appeared an                 True, the  behevers  need some sort of guidance.
    excellent article on the subject "We have a Steward-             And the Lord has also given .His people this guidance.
    ship". From this article (written by Rev. J. J. Stei;. -And I find this guidance expressed at I John 3:16-l&
    genga) I quote, "Can we conclude with- `Tithing and              "IHereby  perceive we the love of God, because he laid
    Pr'osperity'  that all we owe to God is a tenth? God. down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our
    says so and He ought to know. Is it not a cheap con- lives for the brethren. But whoso hatk this world's,
    clusion in the light even of the Old Testament specifi-          goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth
    cations?      And is it not an arbitrary conclusion as           up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth
    applied to rich and poor alike? Understand us well.              the love of God in him? My little children, let us not
    We are whole-heartedly dedicated to systematic giving.           love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in
    There is no substitute for it. A Christian cannot realize truth."
    his priestly privileges without it. Nevertheless the
    conviction has grown on me during more than twenty                   In a word, what must guide us in our giving is
    years of systematic giving, that for many ' the tithe            not the System of tithes but the actual need among the
    is an easy, cheap and arbitrary way of serving God               brethren in Christ. Take a man with an income of
    with their substance, and for. many others it is un-             $10.000 annually who is tithing. He .gives $2000, and
    fair .and difficult in the extreme;"                             he prides himself on doing what the..Lord  requires.
           I am in agreement with these thoughts. To illus- But if, after giving this sum,. he still sees brethren in
    trate, it is very difficult for the,father  of a large family    need, but, shutteth  up. his bowels of compassion from
    and with an income really much too small to give the             them, because he insists that he has done enough, the
    tenths. Like the poor widow who gave  her mite, this love of God, according to John, dwelleth not in him.
    man gives of his want. In giving tenths,-he therefore,               Some one may ask: If it can  be  wrong for New
    according to the reasoning of Christ, gives  moi e than          Testament believers to tithe, how is it to be explained
    the rich or the well-to-do, `as the latter, when they that the Lord by Moses placed the Old Testament
    tithe give of their abundance. Of course, even if they church under the necessity of tithing?
    do not tithe, the poor man, as he gives of his want,                 We will provide this question with an answer in
    gives more than :the rich, unless the rich man, too,             an article to follow.
    gives till it hurts.                                                                                        G. M. 0.


