It does not matter in the least what difficulties or dangers may lie before us; our God is amply sufficient for all, if only we have the sense of the Lord's presence with us, and the authority of His Word for the work in which we are engaged, we may move on with joyful confidence, in spite of ten thousand difficulties and hostile influences.
Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and unto all the elders of Israel. And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles, when all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which He shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: and that their children, which have not known anything, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it. Deut. 31:9-13.
Two things in the foregoing passage claim our special attention. First, there is the fact that the Lord attached the most solemn importance to the public assembly of His people for the purpose of hearing His Word. All Israel—men, women, children and the stranger who had cast in his lot among them, were commanded to assemble themselves together to hear the reading of the book of the law of God, that all might learn His holy will and their duty. Each member of the assembly, from the eldest to the youngest, was to be brought into direct personal contact with the revealed will of the Lord, that each one might know his solemn responsibility.
Oratory Music
Secondly we have to weigh the fact that the children were to be gathered before the Lord to hearken to His Word. Both of these facts are full of weighty instruction for all the members of the Church of God— instruction urgently called for on all sides. There is a most deplorable amount of failure as to these two points. We sadly neglect the assembling of ourselves together for the simple reading of the Holy Scriptures. There does not seem to be sufficient attraction in the Word of God itself to bring us together. There is an unhealthy craving for other things. Human oratory, music, religious excitement of some kind or other seems needful to bring people together—anything and everything but the precious Word of God.
It will perhaps be said that people have the Word of God in their homes, and that it is quite different now from what it was with Israel; everyone can read the Scriptures at home, and there is not the same necessity for the public reading. Such a plea will not stand the test of truth for a moment. We may rest assured, if the Word of God were loved and prized and studied in private and in the family, it would be loved and prized and studied in public. We should delight to gather together around the fountain of Holy Scripture, to drink in happy fellowship of the living water for our common refreshment and blessing.
Imposing Ceremonies
But it is not always so. The Word of God is not loved and studied in many homes, either privately or publicly. Trashy literature is often devoured in private, and music, ritualistic services, and imposing ceremonies are eagerly sought after in public. Thousands will flock to hear music, and pay for admission, but how few care for a meeting to read the Scriptures! There is a growing thirst for religious excitement, and a growing distaste for the calm study of Scripture and the spiritual exercises of the Christian assembly. It is perfectly useless to deny it nor can we shut our eyes to it. The evidence of it meets us on every hand. Thank God there are a few here and there who really love the Word of God and delight to meet in holy fellowship for the study of its precious truths. May the Lord increase the number of such and bless them abundantly. May our lot be cast with them "till traveling days are done." They are but an obscure and feeble remnant everywhere, but they love Christ and cleave to His Word. Their richest enjoyment is to get together and think and speak and sing of Him. God bless them and keep them. May He deepen His precious work in their souls, and bind them more closely to Himself and one another and thus prepare them, in the state of their affections, for the appearing of "the Bright and Morning Star."
C.H. Mackintosh