Passing the Torch: April 2022
Table of Contents
Passing the Torch
“Now I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all that are sanctified.” When the torch is passed, it must always be first and foremost “to God, and to the word of His grace.” Whatever be the days of danger, difficulty and ruin, God abides faithful, the Savior unchangeable, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever. If all the apostles, since they and the prophets laid the foundation, have passed away, the words of His grace remain, as does the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven. Faith shines the more in a dark day.
There is nothing in comparison with the Word of His grace in ability to build us up. Boldness of thought and beauty of language are all vain if there be not the truth, and the truth is never so sure, strong and holy as in His own Word, which is truth. This searches the conscience, strengthens the heart, nourishes faith and makes the blessed hope abounding and mighty in the love which is the strength of all that is good, for love is of God, and God is good, and as His Word builds us up now, so it gives us the inheritance among all that are sanctified. The Word of God truly received delivers from the love of this present age, from the world and from the things of the world.
W. Kelly, Exposition of the Acts (adapted)
Passing the Torch
Throughout the world’s history, men have been continually “passing the torch,” although perhaps not always conscious of what they were doing. Ever since sin entered this world through man’s disobedience and “death by sin” (Rom. 5:12), men have eventually had to give up their responsibilities in this world and pass them on to others. The expression “passing the torch” has come to be associated with this act of relinquishing one’s work, duties, position or information to another. The expression dates a long way back, for its origins are in Grecian idolatry. The original torch was to honor a mythical Greek goddess named Hera, and the flame was to burn continuously on the altar in her temple. More recently the expression has been associated with the Olympic games, where the torch is traditionally lit in Greece, then carried around the world by relays of people until it arrives in the Olympic host country for that particular set of games. The words have also become well-known through the last stanza of the poem, “In Flanders’ Fields,” by Dr. John McRae, written at the end of World War I:
Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high;
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders’ fields.
The words of this poem concern human warfare and represent the supposed feelings of those soldiers who gave their lives in the war, as they encouraged others to take their places. As Christians, we know that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal” (2 Cor. 10:4), yet this allusion to the military is sometimes used in the Word of God. We see it in connection with baptism, which we will look at later in this article.
The Need to Pass on Obligations
We do not find the words “passing the torch” in the Word of God, but we do find this same action all through man’s history, sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a bad way. As weakness and eventual death overtake all of us, we must give up obligations that we have undertaken in this world and pass them on to others. Most of us have watched a relay race and seen the baton being passed from a spent runner to a fresh one. Does he pass it on to a spectator siting on the sidelines on a bench? No! He passes it on to someone who is on the track beside him and already moving!
Two great questions are connected with this: What do we pass on, and to whom do we pass it? Some have passed on a good torch, and it has been taken up by those who valued it. To use the expression in the poem above, they counted it a great privilege to “hold it high.” Others have passed on the torch, only to have others drop it or disregard it. Still others have passed on a bad torch, and perhaps it too has been held high, to the detriment of the one to whom it was passed. Still others have been passed a bad torch, and thankfully they have recognized that it was not worth taking. They have not carried that wrong torch, but rather taken up one that was good and right, and they have carried it instead. We find examples of all of these in the Word of God.
Baptized for the Dead
In 1 Corinthians 15:29, we read, “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not?” When believers are baptized, they take the name of Christ upon them and stand for Him in this world. But death comes in, and some believers are taken home to be with Christ. The illustration here is that of an army that loses some of its men, either from death in battle or from natural death. But the army continues, as new recruits are brought in to replace those who have died. In Christianity, this especially happened when believers were martyred for their faith. Their faithfulness, often under torture and with a cruel death, was used of the Lord to bring others to Christ. In this way the Christian testimony has been maintained for nearly 2,000 years now, and there are probably more Christians alive in the world today than at any other time in the history of the church. The “torch has been passed!”
Paul’s Word to Timothy
We find an even more explicit example in Paul and Timothy. Here was one with a good torch, and he was confident in being able to pass it to one who would value it and “hold it high.” Paul had been faithful, and he could say to the Ephesian elders, “I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:26-27). It was not merely a matter of the truth of the gospel being passed on, but also the precious truth of the assembly that was specially given to Paul from a risen Christ in glory. But now, in 2 Timothy, several years had passed by, and it had been revealed to Paul that he would not be released from prison this time. He could say, “The time of my departure is at hand” (2 Tim. 4:6). Some of those to whom he might have “passed the torch” had proven themselves to be unworthy of it. Paul had to say, “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Tim. 4:10). But of Timothy he could say, “I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state” (Phil. 2:20). It was to Timothy that Paul wrote his last epistle and to whom he said, “The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2).
We do not hear anything more of Timothy in the Word of God, but we can be confident that he carried out Paul’s injunction to him. Sadly, we know from history that despite the faithfulness of those like Timothy, ruin did come into the church rather quickly, both in doctrine and in practice.
However, what we read here in 2 Timothy 2:2 is God’s way of “passing the torch” today, as it has been all down through the history of the church. Yes, we have the Word of God and are responsible for what it says, even if no one passes the torch to us. However, the godly example and teaching of those who went before is most important, whether we are in a position to pass the torch or whether we are receiving it.
W. J. Prost
Be Thou an Example
In 1 Timothy 4:12-16 we read, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.” Here is Paul writing to a young man named Timothy. He said, “Let no man despise thy youth.” I was very much struck in reading in Leviticus 27, that God gives us the value of a man at different ages. From the ages of 5-20, He valued him at 20 shekels; from the ages of 20-60, He valued a man at 50 shekels; from 60 and up, He valued him at 15 shekels. As we get older, we are not worth quite as much. You young people are the ones, if the Lord leaves you here, who are going to have the responsibility of going on in the truth of God. It is true that when the priests retired from fulltime service at 50, they were to keep the charge of the Lord. They were like the ones that held the reins. But the reins do not do the running. It’s the young people that do the running. Dear young people, I want to encourage you just as Paul encouraged Timothy. He wrote to him, “Let no man despise thy youth.” Don’t say, “Well, because I am a young person, there is nothing for me.” In the evaluation in Leviticus 27, if you are past 20, you are worth over three times as much as the one that is over 60. What a valuable place is yours! What a responsibility, what a privilege is yours! When I have traveled about from assembly to assembly, I have noticed that the greatest blessing I have seen in assemblies is young people that want to go on for the Lord Jesus. The old people are blessed by them. In every meeting where the young people are going on for the Lord, the old people are rejoicing because we want to see you blessed and happy. Here Timothy is written to and Timothy is encouraged. Paul said, “Don’t let anyone tell you it’s no use because you are young. There is something for you to do. There is a place for you to fill.” And I want to encourage you. I want to see dear young people who have a heart for Christ, who seek to go on for Him. There may be times when we get discouraged. There may be times when we seem to feel that we are pretty much alone, but the Lord values that devotedness. Timothy was living in a time when he saw all Asia turn away from Paul. Paul said, “All they which are in Asia be turned away from me” (2 Tim. 1:15). But Paul writes and says, “Timothy, don’t you give up just because there is a breakdown. You go on, you be an example ‘in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.’” If the enemy cannot lead you out of the assembly, he can perhaps lead you to a careless walk inside, and, in that way, instead of being an example, you will be a hindrance. So we find that Timothy is exhorted to go on and be an example. He encourages him, too, about the gift that is in him. There is many a young person who has a gift. Often as I look at young people, I see that they really are young people of ability. I know the devil makes a special target of those who have that kind of ability. Did not the king of Syria ask for all the goodliest in the court of Ahab (1 Kings 20:3)? Did not king Nebuchadnezzar ask for the choicest in Babylon to bring up in the wisdom of the Chaldeans, and is not the world the same today (Dan. 1:3-4)? It’s looking for the best of our young people. It’s looking for you to join the ranks in making this world a place of greater progression and more advancement, when it is only ripening for judgment. But, dear young people, the Lord wants you. So I just close with those words, “Continue thou.” “Continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” May the Lord help you through the snares and pitfalls of youth. May He help you and encourage you to live for Him. At the end of your journey, you will look back and you will thank Him for His preserving grace. No credit to ourselves, but you will thank Him. When you see in that day of manifestation how He valued any little bit of devotedness to Him, you and I will wonder, “Why did we not live more for Him?” He did everything for us. “Continue thou.”
G. H. Hayhoe (adapted from an address)
David Serving His Generation
“David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep” (Acts 13:36).
David served his generation when the Lord took him “from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over [His] people, over Israel” (2 Sam. 7:8) and made his name great in the earth. It was the time of David’s “trouble,” but it was also the time of his real greatness and of his most important service to his generation. David then magnified the Lord, and the Lord magnified David in the sight of all Israel. Walking before the Lord, David could afford to appear vile in the eyes of Michal and of all who despised him. These two things — exaltation and humiliation — are morally opposite. Here truly is found the need of “hinds’ feet” (Psa. 18:33) to tread on our high places.
The Desire to Build the Lord’s House
David continued serving his generation “when the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies” (2 Sam. 7:1). At that time, “when the king sat in his house,” the thought came into his heart that it was not suitable for the ark of the Lord to dwell in curtains, while he was dwelling in a house of cedar. David knew well the value of the presence of the Lord, and he sought to secure it in a way which seemed right in his own eyes. This commended itself also to the judgment of Nathan the prophet. But “who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him?” (1 Cor. 2:16). Both the man after God’s own heart and the inspired prophet are alike destitute of true counsel when not walking by faith under the immediate guidance of the Spirit of truth. The thought of David was a pious thought; it was the expression of desire for rest, without conflict, in the immediate presence of God. “Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart: notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house” (2 Chron. 6:8). Zeal without knowledge and piety apart from actual dependence on God are alike dangerous to the work of God. God in His grace is pleased to provide “some better thing for us.” It was out of character for David to build the house which his son built. Many a soul is drawn to David while few are interested in Solomon. David “in his troubles” finds true sympathy in our hearts more than “Solomon in all his glory.” We easily see what David would have lost if he had acted for another generation, instead of serving God in his own.
A Message from the Lord
Nathan is sent to David with the message of the Lord. The first great truth announced is that the will of the saint is not to take the lead in the things of God; if permitted, the result would be “will worship,” one of the most fearful evils in the church of God. Our part is to prove what is “that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom. 12:2). So long as God is pleased to “walk in a tent, and in a tabernacle,” it is not for anyone to build Him a house. Solomon, according to the promise of God to David his father, did build a house for the Lord; the house was filled with the glory of the Lord and called by His name.
The next thing announced by Nathan was the determinate counsel of the Lord, in His own time and way, to give settled rest to His people Israel in a way far beyond their heart’s desire.
The Lord’s Plan
The Lord can do without us, but we cannot do without Him. If He is pleased to use us, sufficient is the honor of being the servants of such a master, but we only really serve Him as we do the work of our own generation. The moment we cease to serve by faith, we regard the sphere of service as our own, forgetting that the husbandry and building with which we are occupied is not ours, but His whom we serve. All the thought of David’s estimation becomes small in comparison with the promise of the Lord of making him a house. David’s work of making a house for the Lord is now superseded by the happier thought of God’s making him a house. We are happier and more effective by serving our generation, and it is done by giving the Lord His due preeminence. When David was occupied with the Lord’s plan, he says, “This was yet a small thing in Thy sight, O Lord God; but Thou hast spoken also of Thy servant’s house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord God?” (2 Sam. 7:19). The manner of man is to rejoice in the work of his hands, seeking to achieve something great to make himself a name. But what God does is forever. David served his generation and fell asleep, but the promise of God to David, when he was stopped in his desire to build a house for the Lord, became the sustainment of faith throughout Israel’s dreary history.
No Disappointments
But how different the last words of David! The lesson he teaches is not only happier but deeper: “Although my house be not so with God; yet hath He made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although He make it not to grow” (2 Sam. 23:5). These are important last words, and such will always be the train of thought of those who serve their generation. There will be no rejoicing in any result of their own service, for the only satisfying result will be that which the Lord Himself has done. Our expectations may not be realized, but this does not cause disappointment for those whose expectation is from the Lord. If a present palpable result is the object we propose to ourselves, we shall certainly be disappointed. But if we seek the honor of Christ and there is no present result answering the desire of our heart, while we are deeply humbled under the sense of our own imperfection, we may take comfort from the language of the only perfect Servant: “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God” (Isa. 49:4).
The Christian will best serve his own generation by maintaining his own proper ground and asserting the blessedness of the knowledge of Christ at the very moment when man is magnifying himself. It is well, indeed, to be able truthfully to say of Christ, He is “all my salvation,” and even more blessed to add, He is “all my desire,” in the face of all appearances that He is not making our desires “to grow.”
The Present Testimony (adapted)
The Kings of Judah and Israel
The title of this issue of The Christian is “Passing the Torch,” and perhaps nowhere do we find this event played out more frequently than in the succession of kings and queens. Monarchs are becoming increasingly scarce in the world of the twenty-first century, but for thousands of years it was the accepted way of governing a nation or an empire. Normally kings and queens would be succeeded by their sons, or occasionally by a daughter, and what the reigning monarch passed on to his son or daughter was most important.
Since the times of the Gentiles began with Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire in 606 B.C., God has generally accomplished His purposes by allowing “the basest of men” to rule (Dan. 4:17). However, we can be most thankful that there have been exceptions to this way and that sometimes good rulers were able to be a help to those who succeeded them.
In the history of Israel and Judah, we see likewise good rulers and bad ones. In the history of Israel after the division of the nation in the time of Rehoboam and Jeroboam, there was never a really godly king, although some did have a degree of reverence for Jehovah. Some did carry out His will in a limited way, but none really reversed the serious idolatry that was introduced by Jeroboam.
In Judah there were a number of good kings, but also some who were evil in a very decided way. Let us look at a few of these kings and what kind of moral legacy they passed on to their successors.
The Ways of David His Father
If we begin with David, we find that in general, he passed on a good torch. It is true that he failed rather seriously in his life, but unlike some of his descendants, he always repented and returned to the Lord. An upright person is not one who never fails, but rather is one who does not pretend to be what he is not. As a result, we find that in the case of Josiah, who came to the throne of Judah hundreds of years later, it was said of him, “He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father” (2 Chron. 34:2). That good torch which David passed on was still burning nearly 400 years after David had passed it on.
One of David’s outstanding descendants was a godly king named Jehoshaphat, who began to reign about 100 years after David had died. Jehoshaphat would never have known David, but he had a godly father, Asa, who, no doubt, had brought him up in the ways of the Lord. Jehoshaphat really loved the Lord and was much blessed in consequence, but he had a glaring fault that colored his legacy in a wrong way.
He badly wanted to be on good terms with the ten tribes, even though their king Ahab was a wicked man. He went to war allied with Ahab, and although the Lord graciously preserved him, yet this alliance with a wicked king resulted in his son, Jehoram, marrying Ahab’s daughter. When Jehoshaphat was dead, Jehoram became king, forsook the way of the Lord, and embraced idolatry. Eventually the Lord smote him with a dreadful disease, and he died when he was only 40 years old. This bad fault of Jehoshaphat had further results, for Jehoram’s son Ahaziah also perished at the hands of Jehu, whom the Lord raised up to destroy the house of Ahab. Just as a good torch can have far-reaching consequences in blessing, so a bad torch can have long-term effects for evil.
He Passed on a Bad Torch
We come now to a very wicked king in Judah named Manasseh. He was the son of another godly king, Hezekiah, yet he failed to pick up the good torch left to him by his father. Manasseh’s long reign of 55 years was characterized by a return to idolatry and evil of every description. He evidently reversed all the good that his father had done, and Scripture records that he “made Judah ... to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel” (2 Chron. 33:9). Later in his life, Manasseh repented and turned to the Lord, but the damage was done. He passed on a bad torch to his son Amon, of whom it is recorded that “he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served” (2 Kings 21:21).
He Reversed the Evil Trappings
But God had His eye on the house of David, and as we have already noted, He could raise up a godly king, even if that same king had an evil background. Josiah became king when he was only eight years old, and he had Amon for a father and Manasseh for a grandfather. Yet it is recorded that “he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 22:2). His reign was outstanding for faithfulness to the Lord and a desire to follow the law of the Lord perfectly. As such, he is one of the brightest lights in the history of the kings of Judah. He reversed all the trappings of idolatry that had been built up over many years, cleansed the house of the Lord, and removed idols from the high places that dated back to the time of Solomon. He kept a wonderful Passover, the like of which had not been seen since the days of Samuel.
Josiah was not passed a good torch, but instead of taking up a bad one, he followed the Lord and left a good torch for his own descendants. Sadly, they did not take it up as they should have, and his posterity did not follow the Lord. It was under their rule that Judah was carried away into captivity.
Finally, we will look at two of the kings of Israel, not as the kingdom was before it was divided, but as the ten tribes. The ten tribes are frequently referred to as Israel in the history after the division of the nation.
The King Who Made Israel to Sin
The first king of the ten tribes after the division was Jeroboam. He had been promised the kingdom by the Lord some years before the death of Solomon. He was given a strict promise from the Lord by the prophet Ahijah that his kingdom and dynasty would be firmly established if he followed the Lord and walked in the ways of David. But when Jeroboam became king, he reasoned that if the people went up to Jerusalem to worship, they would likely again want to be under Rehoboam’s rule, since Jerusalem remained under Rehoboam’s control. He did not trust the word of the Lord, who said that He would build him “a sure house” if he were faithful to Him. He then proceeded to fashion two golden calves and set up false altars and false worship in Israel, in Dan and Bethel.
God never forgot this signal departure from the law of Moses and the affront to God Himself, in the introduction of Jeroboam’s own ideas and methods into the worship of God. In referring to many other kings of Israel who followed Jeroboam, the Spirit of God constantly speaks of their following “Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.” This phrase is repeated, with minor variations, 20 times in the history of subsequent kings of Israel. None ever really reversed this idolatry or got rid of the two golden calves that Jeroboam had made. Jeroboam’s torch was a bad one, nor did he ever repent of it. It had an evil influence for hundreds of years.
The King Who Exterminated Ahab
The last king about which we will speak is Jehu. At first glance, it would appear that he was a godly man. He was anointed king by Elisha, who acted on the word of the Lord and gave him a charge to deal with the wicked house of Ahab. Jehu was a man of action, and he was ruthless in getting rid of Ahab’s family, including Ahaziah, the king of Judah, whose mother was Ahab’s daughter. He exterminated all who were related to Ahab, and the Lord honored him for it.
Jehu also dealt with the worshipers of the idol Baal in a decisive way by calling them together, but telling them as a ruse that it was to be a religious gathering for Baal. Then he slew all those who had come together and destroyed the house of Baal. Scripture records that Jehu “destroyed Baal out of Israel” (2 Kings 10:28).
However, we read that after all this, “Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart; for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin” (2 Kings 10:31). Jehu never took away the golden calves, nor did he restore the worship of God according to the law of Moses. The people continued to worship in Dan and Bethel instead of going up to Jerusalem, and they practiced a corrupt religion.
Because of Jehu’s zeal for Jehovah, the Lord promised that his children would sit on the throne of Israel for four generations. So it came to pass, for it is recorded of his sons, one by one, that they “did evil in the sight of the Lord.” Jehu had a zeal for the Lord, but his energy was not matched by a heart for the Lord, and his life lacked that real godliness that would have pleased the Lord.
These few examples show us the serious and long-term consequences of what type of torch we pass on, how it is passed on, and how it is received by those to whom we give it. We also see that we do not need to be victims of a bad torch, for Josiah’s history shows us how a very young man chose to follow the Lord instead of taking up the bad torch of his father and grandfather.
W. J. Prost
For This Child I Prayed
Many mothers have prayed for a child with similar words, but far fewer have given their children back to the Lord with these words. The reality and purpose of heart of this dear woman Hannah is admirable. She understood and wanted to fulfill her role as a mother, but the Lord had shut up her womb. The difficulties and exercises that Hannah went through to obtain a child may well encourage every mother. She dealt with rivalry from her peer Peninnah and the fretting that this produced in her own soul, and, although her husband loved her, he did not understand her need; then Eli the priest was hard on her. None of these adversities kept her from persisting. She went to the Lord in prayer. Her petition was granted when she relinquished having a child to satisfy her own desires and promised to lend the child to the Lord. We see later how the Lord needed that child to witness to and replace the failing priests of Eli’s family.
The Husband, Peer and Priest
The family of Elkanah was a godly family that went up to Shiloh each year. But Hannah’s desire for a child was so intense she could not be happy. This desire to have children was right. To whom could she go with this problem? Elkanah, her husband, had children by his other wife. We are not told how he came to have two wives, but his comment of being better to her than ten sons was very self-centered. Nor was he acting as “heirs together of the grace of life” with Hannah. Yes, he did love her and gave a worthy portion to her, but he could not understand or help her with her sorrow of soul.
To make matters worse, Peninnah, the other wife who had children, provoked her and made life miserable. This provoking made going up to the house of the Lord a difficult thing for Hannah, for she had no children to thank the Lord for as Peninnah did. The best that Hannah could do in this situation was pray to the Lord alone.
It is sad to see Eli the priest sitting on a chair by the temple. He should have been standing and ministering to the needs of the people instead of overindulging himself. He did not have good discernment concerning Hannah, and his family was a dishonor to the Lord. All Israel could see these faults, but none of these circumstances hindered Hannah from going to the Lord’s house to pray. The Lord was still there, and He could answer prayer. When Eli found that she was a godly soul praying to the Lord, he promised her that the Lord would give her the petition she had requested. She believed the word and was no longer sad. Her humble response is beautiful: “Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight.” She treated the answer as an act of the grace of God. “It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace.” This is a sure ground of blessing. We often treat the answers to our prayers as something deserved.
Consecration
The name Hannah means “grace.” She lived up to her name. When the Lord gave her a son, she did not claim the son as her own, but consecrated him to the Lord. This was not any kind of bargain with the Lord because of what He would do or had done, but a voluntary act of lending him to the Lord for His service. Those of us who are parents may well consider this example regarding our children. Do we raise them according to our own desires? or for the Lord?
After Samuel was weaned, the day came to present him to the Lord. We read, “She took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young. And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli” (vss. 24-25). These sacrifices which accompanied the presentation of the child to the priest have a lesson for us. They show that the propitiation Christ made for God is the means by which the child could acceptably be presented to God. The sacrifices presented with the boy made the child worthy to be presented to the Lord. This is the only right basis upon which parents can dedicate their children to God. We may think that the act of consecrating our children to the Lord is worthy enough in itself that they be accepted. And the more a godly parent invests in training and guiding his children without a conscious realization of Christ’s work for and in those children, the more the parent will be snared by considering their children as acceptable to God apart from His grace. We need to see that all is of grace. The sacrifices that Elkanah and Hannah offered while dedicating the child to the Lord prove that the parents laid hold of the principle of grace.
Let me repeat these things from another viewpoint. When we, with sadness, as parents, see that our children do not go on for the Lord, let us not blame the Lord for this. In essence, this would be treating all that we have done as something that should have been acceptable to God. It is to fall from grace as the ground of all blessing. Yes, we are responsible to do all we can to bring up our children for the Lord, but even the best we may do in consecrating our children to the Lord is not sufficient to make them acceptable to God. Realizing these things will keep each of us humble and, at the same time, make us diligent as to our families.
Humility
There is a difference between humility and self-condemnation. When we fail with our children, we ought to examine our ways and own our failures before the Lord. But repentance is more than owning that we have failed in certain areas, it is recognizing that everything about us in the flesh is bad. Condemning ourselves for what we have done is to remain focused on the wrong object. Do we believe that, given a second chance, we will do better? Let us rather fall back on the grace of God to do what we cannot do, and in humility accept the consequences of our failures, counting on God to bring blessing.
There is also God’s sovereign side of the matter to consider. He has a sovereign plan of blessing for all those He has called, and nothing will hinder His blessing. He is able even to bring good out of evil. King David spoke of this when he realized he had not kept his house in a just and orderly way. He said, “Although my house be not so with God; yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although He make it not to grow” (2 Sam. 23:5). David recognized his failure, but, like Hannah, he held, in faith, to the promises of God to bless his house; at the same time, he was submissive to wait until it was God’s time to make it grow. May the Lord give us this patience of faith in Him.
Worship and Praise
Hannah proceeded to say, “Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of Him: Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there” (1 Sam. 1:26-28). The true mother’s heart is satisfied when worship to the Lord is presented by her son, and she is kept in the background. Her son’s worship and service to the Lord is the product of her toiling years of nurturing care with the child for the sake of the Lord.
It is beautiful to see that, after Hannah gave up her son to serve the Lord, she did not return to her former sadness. When she lent her son to the Lord, He filled her heart with communion with Himself. She still had everything for which she had labored. Her heart was not centered only on the son, but on the Lord with her child. Her heart was filled with praise to the Lord and she proclaimed it. Her prayer that follows is really a song of praise. So it is when mothers rise to the height of presenting their children to the Lord as spiritual children for Him, as in this instructive example of Hannah.
D. C. Buchanan
The Mantle That Elijah Passed to Elisha
1 Kings 19
When Elijah’s powerful witness of law had failed to turn Israel back to the Lord, he went back to Horeb and heard the still small voice, “What doest thou here?” Though he seemed to have perceived that his ministry had failed, God’s witness to Israel was not over. Three others were needed to complete God’s testimony to Israel — Hazael, Jehu and Elisha. Of the three, Elisha was the only one anointed by Elijah. He was to follow Elijah with a different ministry to Israel. The other two would be used to bring judgment upon Israel for their wickedness. We see in this how God passes the torch from one to another. In the case before us, we see how that after law failed, God brought in undeserved blessing to Israel before the following judgments. That is why Elisha must fulfill his ministry of grace before Jehu slays the house of Ahab and Hazael destroys many in Israel. The case of these last two took place after Elisha finished his ministry.
The Ministry of Grace
Ministers of the grace of God in the present dispensation of grace may well profit by observing how Elijah transferred the mantle to Elisha. The transfer began with the Lord’s word to Elijah. “The Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room” (1 Kings 19:15-16). We see in this how God raises up different ones to do His work. Then He may set them aside. None of us have all the gifts or are sufficient to do all of the Lord’s work.
As to the case we are considering, it seems that the Lord took Elijah’s reaction to his being rejected as the indication that his ministry was over. Elijah, then having been told what each of the three would do to Israel, chose to go to anoint Elisha first. From Horeb he went to Abelmeholah (son of dancing) where Elisha was plowing. Without a word, he cast his mantle on Elisha, who took it from the Lord as a call to follow. The action of Elijah was no more than an outward indication of what Elisha should do. The real call must come from the Lord to the heart of the called one. Elisha responded in a way that showed the exercise he had before the Lord. This was not a case of human ordination or a simple succession of prophets. In Luke 9:62, the Lord Jesus rehearses it as an example of true discipleship. Elisha returned to bid goodbye to his family, sacrificed all to serve the Lord and then followed Elijah. No doubt there were things to be learned from Elijah before he began his own ministry. Elijah had not asked him to do this; it was the work of God in his soul. It is good for older ones to prompt younger ones in their service for the Lord, but older ones must be careful not to dominate in a way that would take away the individual exercise on the part of younger ones. We are to follow the faith of those who go before (Heb. 13:7).
They Left Gilgal, a Namesake Place of the Covenant of Circumcision
Until the time when Elijah was taken up to heaven, not much is revealed of Elisha’s time of discipleship with Elijah, other than that he poured water on the hands of Elijah (2 Kings 3:11). It is good to learn in the simple things how to serve and wait on the Lord. The course of the two from Gilgal to the wilderness teaches us important principles about the transition from one kind of ministry to another. Without this process of learning of the law and the reasons for the ending the administration of law, a right appreciation of the true grace of God cannot be understood.
In 2 Kings 2 we have the journey of the two prophets described. It began in the city named after the place where the children of Israel were first circumcised when they came into the land. But, what benefit is there in such a custom when they were idolatrous? God would not allow them to misrepresent Him in such a way. The two leave the place together. Elijah had given up on his ministry toward Israel and was leaving them. It is a test whether Elisha would follow with him. Devotion to the Lord is required to follow this path. The people of Israel cling to their covenant, even if they did not keep it.
They Left Bethel as the Representative of God’s House
When they came to Bethel, “the house of God,” the sons of the prophets had a certain intelligence of what was happening, but they were not willing to leave their place of identification with “the house of God.” They stayed in Bethel. What is such a house if the Spirit of God is not present? Later, in New Testament times, the Lord said to the Jews, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matt. 23:38).
They Left Jericho, a City Still Under Curse
Next the two prophets came to Jericho, where there were more “sons of the prophets”; they also knew that the Lord was about to take away Elijah. They seemed anxious to inform Elisha of it, but he would not accept their proffered insight; he walked by his own faith in the Lord. It is sad when there are those who know of prophetic events but are not willing to follow a path consistent with those prophecies. Elisha alone was faithful in following him.
Jericho had been destroyed when Israel came into the land and had been put under a curse. It was not to be rebuilt; nevertheless, they had rebuilt it. It is a picture of the world under a curse, which today men still try to make into a good place to live. Israel did that; the church has done it too. The minister of the law showed no interest in fixing up Jericho, and Elisha again swore, “As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.” He had in his soul the awareness that he was following the living Lord and His servant Elijah.
They Crossed the River Jordan, the Place of Death to the Flesh
Fifty sons of the prophets stood afar off and saw Elijah smite the river Jordan, divide the waters and cross over to the other side, but Elisha alone saw what took place after that. This miraculous action confirmed that Israel no longer had the claims of blessing given at the time of Joshua when Jordan’s waters parted to let them into the land. Elijah, the Lord’s servant, exited, leaving them behind. The rejected minister was being called to heaven. He is a picture of the Lord Jesus, the ascended man in heaven, through whom God could send a better message of righteousness through grace. A new ground of blessing was about to develop.
Elisha Requests a Double Portion, a New Opportunity for Israel
“It came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me” (2 Kings 2:9). An unconditional offer was made. It was not restricted by the requirements of law. Elijah had ended the administration of law as the means of righteousness. Elisha, too, would leave the law behind. Now with boldness of faith, he lays claim to the generosity of sovereign grace. Such a thing could not take place until they had crossed the Jordan. You cannot mix law and grace.
Elisha Witnesses Elijah Taken to Heaven; a New Basis of Blessing Is Established
Elijah said, “Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And he saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more” (2 Kings 2:10-12). Such a free outflow of spirit seemed a hard thing to the administrator of the law. Heaven had not revealed its store to him yet. The ascension of a man into glory changes the perspective. When One who has perfectly kept the law is in heaven, the perspective changes. We have the Lord Jesus Christ, a man in the glory, to intercede for us. There is no hindrance to blessing for that which is according to Him.
Elisha Takes Up the Mantle and Commences to Bless Israel
Then Elisha “took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; and he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over” (2 Kings 2:12-14). The first reaction of Elisha is to rend his own clothes, a recognition of his own unworthiness. Self-worthiness only hinders the ministry of grace; the more we recognize our true condition, the more freely the ministry of grace will flow.
The act of smiting the waters of Jordan with Elijah’s mantle was done in faith. The words, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” may appear otherwise, but I apprehend them to be taken as Elisha saying, “All these years God has been limited in blessing Israel because of their failure to keep the commandments; now it is time for God to show His power and blessing according to His desire.” This is the true grace of God. May we each lay hold of this and carry that mantle with us in submission and obedience to the gracious will of God to bless, because of Jesus Christ.
D. C. Buchanan
The Lost Axe Head
“And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it” (2 Kings 6:1-7).
In the earlier chapters of this book, some of these younger ones were not in a good state of soul, and had missed the mind of the Lord. But it would seem they were now growing in their souls. They said, “Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.” There appears to be a desire to develop, and they consult with an older one.
Desiring Fellowship of the Older Man
Then these younger ones said, “Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan.” Jordan speaks of our death with Christ; this was surely progress in their souls. But notice, they consulted with him. They said to Elisha, “Let us go...unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.” What happy approval! It has long been noticed that younger ones who act in independency without seeking the fellowship of their brethren often end in disaster. “And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants.” They lovingly said, “We are not going to go without you, Elisha.” This is the road to wisdom and blessing. He replied, “I will go.”
“So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.” Wood in scripture often speaks of humanity, but it applies primarily to Christ. He, the eternal Son of God, became a Man. May we all desire to be building the testimony of His grace, to the blessed name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
A Test
“But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water.” Let us consider the axe head as a picture of the truth. He loses the axe head in the water. He thinks immediately of the “man of God,” and confesses it was borrowed. The truth is not ours; it is committed to us as a trust; we can lose it. May we value it and the One of whom it speaks! The “man of God” asks, “Where fell it?” Where did you lose it? This is very important. If we lose the truth it is not only the immediate loss of it that we need to fear, but it is where the drift started. We do not lose the truth without going through many “red lights.” He had to go back to the place of departure. When we neglect this, we are on the way to the loss of discernment, and of the truth itself. “And he showed him the place.”
The Shadow of the Cross of Christ
“And he cut down a stick.” How touching! We need to get back to the cross — the beginning of our blessing, and also where we find our restoration. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). “And the iron did swim.” Miracle! Oh, prove the Lord, and find out that He is faithful to His Word. But the axe head did not attach itself to the handle. “Therefore said he (Elisha), Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand and took it.” He had to get down on his hands and knees, reach out and take that axe head, and put it back onto the handle. The truth was restored to him, but he had to take a humble place.
New Testament Axe Heads
Paul, the older one, says to Timothy, the younger: Study to show [or, strive diligently to present] thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth [has] not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [cutting in a straight line] the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Timothy was to be a workman, cutting with his axe in a straight line. “The Word of Truth” was to be carefully handled; he was not to lose his “axe head.”
Another Axe Head
“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity [love], in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (1 Tim. 4:12-16).
“Let no man despise thy youth.” It was not that Paul was saying to Timothy, “Don’t let them push you around because you are a younger brother;” rather Paul was saying to him, “Consistency, Timothy, consistency. If you are living out in your life the truth that you are teaching, they will not despise you.” Consistency in our life is so important! We all have a tendency to drift from “cutting in a straight line.” Fathers and mothers also need this. There is no moral power, fathers and mothers, if there is inconsistency in your life. It is the applying of that “axe head” consistently that is going to bring honor to the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives.
Careful Use of the “Axe Head” Brings Reward
Then he says (verse 14): “Neglect not the gift that is in thee [be not negligent]”. Every one of us has received a gift. Take on those responsibilities; if the Lord leaves us here much longer, we older ones will be gone. “Meditate upon [or, occupy thyself with] these things.” “These things” are heavenly truth; not the problems of this life. We are surely surrounded by problems, but the answer is Christ. He is the answer for every problem! “Give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting [or, progress] may appear to all.” How encouraging it is to see younger ones growing in their souls and assuming responsibility!
Mothers: Keep Your Eye on the Axe Head
You mothers — do not give up! Be an example and an encouragement to your sons and daughters, young and old. Keep on! Remember Timothy’s mother, and his grandmother.
Paul says, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine [or, teaching]; continue in them.” He warned in Acts 20 of the dangers from without, but he also warned of the dangers from within.
Another Axe Head
“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured [or, fully persuaded] of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (2 Tim. 3:14). We do not learn truth from those who do not walk in it. If we are drawing from those who have bought the truth, paid for it in faithfulness to the Word of God and have left us their scripturally-proven writings, then we are going to be established in the truth. Stand for the truth and you will experience the Lord’s preserving care; you shall know the joy of living in a dark day for the Lord’s glory.
Hold the Axe Handle Lightly
Paul’s closing words to his beloved Timothy are, “The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen” (2 Tim. 4:22). The day of faith will soon be over — all the trials and sorrows and the fever of life shall be gone forever! The Lord Jesus is coming soon!
Norman Berry (adapted)
Passing the Torch Today
In another article in this issue of The Christian, we have discussed the subject of “passing the torch” and how it was done in the early days of the church. Some may be wondering whether it is the same today, and whether we ought to be concerned about those who might carry on after older ones are taken home to be with the Lord. Allow me to express a few personal comments.
Over 65 years ago, I remember being at a general meeting and listening to the comments in a reading meeting. One of the older brothers commented that he had been speaking to a number of those present who were using their full time in the work of the Lord, and he had found out that almost all of them were more than 65 years of age. He then raised the question as to whether there would be younger ones who would have the desire and energy to carry on in the truth, if the Lord left us here and those older ones were taken home. Even as a boy, his comment went to my heart, and I felt the impact of what he said.
Hold That Fast Which Thou Hast
Some years later, the address to the assembly of Philadelphia in Revelation 3 was being taken up at a general meeting, and a brother laid some emphasis on verse 11: “Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” Again, this comment made an impression on me, and likely on others also.
Later still, a dear brother, now long since with the Lord, gave an address to us young people that (I found out years later) affected quite a few of us, although at the time I applied it only to myself. He took up the question that the Lord asked Peter in John 21: “Lovest thou Me more than these?” (vs. 15). Again, his comments went to our hearts and stirred us up, as to whether we loved the Lord enough to give up something in this life and to go out and serve Him. Not that we look to our love for the Lord as being the necessary motivating factor; rather, we trust that “the love of Christ constraineth us” (2 Cor. 5:14). The more we live in the enjoyment of His love, the more our love will flow back to Him.
“I Know I Am Saved”
Some might question why it is important to “pass the torch” and to carry on in the truth that we have enjoyed. I remember a Christian young man whom I knew well, about my own age, who had grown up in a godly home. He voiced his feelings about all this in rather strong language. He said, “I know I am saved and that I am going to heaven. That is all I need: I am not interested in anything more.” This attitude is not new, for it is essentially what happened while the Apostle Paul was still alive. He could say in 2 Timothy 1:15, “All they which are in Asia be turned away from me.” They had not turned away from Christianity, but rather from the heavenly calling that Paul had preached. Paul had been the “standard bearer” of Christianity, to point the way that should characterize a believer in this dispensation. As part of the church, the believer today has a heavenly calling and hope, yet is sent back into the world to be a witness to it. The world will gladly accept a Christian who displays Christian morality and virtues, but does not like one who separates himself from it, because of his heavenly calling.
Sadly, there are some Christians today who exemplify the attitude of that young man to whom I referred. They are content simply to have their “ticket to heaven,” but then live for this world until they are called home. Some may ask, Why is it important to walk in all the truth that has been given to us?
All the Counsel of God
I would suggest that there are at least two reasons why we should take in and enjoy “all the counsel of God.” First of all, there is the question of responsibility. At any time in this world’s history, God has had His own in this world who honored Him and who sought to please Him. God could say to Abraham, “Walk before Me, and be thou perfect” (Gen. 17:1). This does not mean that he never sinned, but rather that he was mature in his understanding of what God was doing during that dispensation and what his proper response ought to be. Abraham did not know what you and I know today, but he was faithful, and of him the Lord could say, “I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and that they shall keep the way of the Lord” (Gen. 18:19). Abraham did so and passed “a good torch” to his family. They did not always walk in the good of it, but his example of faith and obedience had far-reaching consequences in blessing.
In the same way you and I are responsible today. Almost 200 years ago the Lord raised up those who restored to us the precious truth of the assembly. Many enjoyed it, but many subsequently gave it up, as they found it a difficult path. But this brings us to our second reason for “passing the torch” and holding that torch high, so to speak. It brings us back to what we have already quoted from 2 Corinthians 5:14: “The love of Christ constraineth us.”
The Love of Christ Constrains Us
Truth is a wonderful thing, and especially that which is connected with a risen Christ in glory. The Lord Jesus could say, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). The precious truth of God does indeed free us from all the thoughts and purposes of man and enables us to walk with God, according to His purposes and counsels. But truth itself will not keep us; our affections must be engaged. That is why the Lord Jesus said to His disciples, as they went from the city of Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives, “As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love” (John 15:9). The enjoyment of the love of Christ in our hearts will cause our own hearts to overflow with love to Him, and then anything that has to do with our blessed Savior will be of supreme importance to us.
In a spiritual setting, “passing the torch” is not only the maintenance of a body of truth, important as it is. The Ephesian assembly, as addressed by the Lord in Revelation 2, was holding the truth and doing it well. Yet the Lord had to remind them of a signal failure: “Thou hast left thy first love” (Rev. 2:4). This was the beginning of decline, and eventually it did result in the removal of the candlestick there. When our first love fails, then spiritual decline and giving up of the truth follows. The torch may be carried for a while, but if the motive spring for doing so is gone, then the torch will soon be abandoned. An old brother, long since with the Lord, once reminisced about some of those under whose ministry he had been brought up. He mentioned their gift, but also said that what impressed him more than their gift was their godliness and that their godliness lent weight to their words.
In conclusion, then, let us remind ourselves that we are responsible, at whatever time we might live in the church’s history, to maintain that which has been committed to us. Likewise, our response to the love of Christ is not dependent on how much we know, but rather on our enjoyment of His love and of whatever He may have committed to us. He will have a testimony on earth until He comes — a testimony to the whole truth of God. May it be our earnest desire to be part of it.
W. J. Prost
Whose Faith Follow
We read also in Hebrews 13, where the Lord was speaking about their leaders who had spoken to them the Word of God, and He has to add that little word, “Whose faith follow.” My father often used to say, “Remember, it does not say, ‘Whose failures follow.’” We do see failures in ourselves, and perhaps in one another as well, and sometimes we follow someone else who has done something wrong. But it says, “Whose faith follow.” And then it tells us about One who never fails. So, after telling us that we could imitate the faith of those who had sought to instruct us in the things of God, He points us again to this unchangeable Friend, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (vs. 8). Surely, brethren, when we think of this, it is so encouraging to our hearts.
I believe it is so important not only to know this blessed One, but to realize that He has laid down in His Word all that we need for our pathway. We are living in a world of constant change. I suppose if we looked back 50 years ago, none of us would have arrived here at these general meetings in the same way that we did today; some arrived by plane; some arrived by car. It is a changing world. But let us remember that moral and spiritual values do not change. That is, God has certain standards that He has established in His precious Word, and it gives us peace. We know this unchanging Friend that we have and that the counsel He gives us does not have to be brought up to date. Anyone working in the business world today knows very well that the planning and the way things are done are constantly being changed. New bulletins are being issued about changes all the time. But isn’t it lovely that we can take up a book like this and know that although the last part was written over 1900 years ago, it is still perfectly up to date? It does not have to be brought up to date. It is suited to us.
G. H. Hayhoe
Moral Provision — Not Official Succession
The Lord’s coming is what is always put before the believer as a present hope and for this reason there is no provision for official succession. “I come quickly” is the language of Him who orders the church. Here there is no time or future in the thought of God to suggest any need for succession. In the old Jewish economy, it was contemplated but not now in this day of grace.
As to the two statements “the latter times” and “the last days,” they are looked at in a moral way as always being present and the churches are addressed as about to meet their Lord upon His return.
There is, of course, a provision in a moral way to have order in the church but not in appointed offices through official succession. “If anyone aspires to exercise oversight, he desires a good work” (1 Tim. 3:1 JnD). Notice that it says “anyone.” Then the moral qualifications that are necessary to fill the need of that service follow. The same applies also to deacons. So we see the way that grace today and all through each generation meets the needs of the church in a moral exercise of souls and not in any officially appointed way.
What was prophesied to succeed the apostles we find in Acts 20:29-30: “I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” This was sadly true and is still true. However, each generation in its day has had those godly men raised up to meet their need, and it is still so. In Hebrews 13:7 we read, “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.” This refers to those dear faithful servants who have gone on, but we are to remember the Word of God that they ministered to us. A little further on it says, “Obey them that have the rule [are the guides] over you, and submit yourselves.” These are those in our generation who are serving according to their moral capacity and devotion to God and His Word. Paul commends the brethren in Acts 20 to God and the Word of His grace. These always remain to guide us.
C. Buchanan
Abel's Torch
“He being dead, yet speaketh” (Heb. 11:3).
An act of faith passed onward
From times long past to ours;
It speaks across the ages,
Echoing with mighty power.
And what can be this message
Through centuries still true?
A lamb was killed and offered —
Life, peace for me and you.
The torch was lit with Abel;
It passed through many hands;
Great multitudes of offerings —
God’s great design and plan.
And now God’s grace is closing;
The world is steeped in sin;
God’s spotless Son has suffered —
Oh, let Him draw you in!
Oh, hold the torch yet higher
That lost one sees its flame!
That sacrifice still speaking —
The torch is not in vain!
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