patriarchs and prophets-第104章

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discontent；　the　same　ambition　for　position　and　honor；　into　the　minds　of　men。
He　thus　worked　upon　the　minds　of　Korah；　Dathan；　and　Abiram；　to　arouse　the
desire　for　self…exaltation　and　excite　envy；　distrust；　and　rebellion。　Satan
caused　them　to　reject　God　as　their　leader；　by　rejecting　the　men　of　God's
appointment。　Yet　while　in　their　murmuring　against　Moses　and　Aaron　they
blasphemed　God；　they　were　so　deluded　as　to　think　themselves　righteous；　and
to　regard　those　who　had　faithfully　reproved　their　sins　as　actuated　by　Satan。

Do　not　the　same　evils　still　exist　that　lay　at　the　foundation　of　Korah's
ruin？　Pride　and　ambition　are　widespread；　and　when　these　are　cherished；　they
open　the　door　to　envy；　and　a　striving　for　supremacy；　the　soul　is　alienated
from　God；　and　unconsciously

404

drawn　into　the　ranks　of　Satan。　Like　Korah　and　his　companions；　many；　even　of
the　professed　followers　of　Christ；　are　thinking；　planning；　and　working　so
eagerly　for　self…exaltation　that　in　order　to　gain　the　sympathy　and　support
of　the　people　they　are　ready　to　pervert　the　truth；　falsifying　and
misrepresenting　the　Lord's　servants；　and　even　charging　them　with　the　base
and　selfish　motives　that　inspire　their　own　hearts。　By　persistently
reiterating　falsehood；　and　that　against　all　evidence；　they　at　last　come　to
believe　it　to　be　truth。　While　endeavoring　to　destroy　the　confidence　of　the
people　in　the　men　of　God's　appointment；　they　really　believe　that　they　are
engaged　in　a　good　work；　verily　doing　God　service。

The　Hebrews　were　not　willing　to　submit　to　the　directions　and　restrictions　of
the　Lord。　They　were　restless　under　restraint；　and　unwilling　to　receive
reproof。　This　was　the　secret　of　their　murmuring　against　Moses。　Had　they　been
left　free　to　do　as　they　pleased；　there　would　have　been　fewer　complaints
against　their　leader。　All　through　the　history　of　the　church　God's　servants
have　had　the　same　spirit　to　meet。

It　is　by　sinful　indulgence　that　men　give　Satan　access　to　their　minds；　and
they　go　from　one　stage　of　wickedness　to　another。　The　rejection　of　light
darkens　the　mind　and　hardens　the　heart；　so　that　it　is　easier　for　them　to
take　the　next　step　in　sin　and　to　reject　still　clearer　light；　until　at　last
their　habits　of　wrongdoing　become　fixed。　Sin　ceases　to　appear　sinful　to
them。　He　who　faithfully　preaches　God's　word；　thereby　condemning　their　sins；
too　often　incurs　their　hatred。　Unwilling　to　endure　the　pain　and　sacrifice
necessary　to　reform；　they　turn　upon　the　Lord's　servant　and　denounce　his
reproofs　as　uncalled　for　and　severe。　Like　Korah；　they　declare　that　the
people　are　not　at　fault；　it　is　the　reprover　that　causes　all　the　trouble。　And
soothing　their　consciences　with　this　deception；　the　jealous　and　disaffected
combine　to　sow　discord　in　the　church　and　weaken　the　hands　of　those　who　would
build　it　up。

Every　advance　made　by　those　whom　God　has　called　to　lead　in　His　work　has
excited　suspicion；　every　act　has　been　misrepresented　by　the　jealous　and
faultfinding。　Thus　it　was　in　the　time　of　Luther；　of　the　Wesleys　and　other
reformers。　Thus　it　is　today。

Korah　would　not　have　taken　the　course　he　did　had　he　known　that　all　the
directions　and　reproofs　communicated　to　Israel　were　from　God。　But　he　might
have　known　this。　God　had　given

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　405

overwhelming　evidence　that　He　was　leading　Israel。　But　Korah　and　his
companions　rejected　light　until　they　became　so　blinded　that　the　most
striking　manifestations　of　His　power　were　not　sufficient　to　convince　them；
they　attributed　them　all　to　human　or　satanic　agency。　The　same　thing　was　done
by　the　people；　who　the　day　after　the　destruction　of　Korah　and　his　company
came　to　Moses　and　Aaron；　saying；　〃Ye　have　killed　the　people　of　the　Lord。〃
Notwithstanding　they　had　had　the　most　convincing　evidence　of　God's
displeasure　at　their　course；　in　the　destruction　of　the　men　who　had　deceived
them；　they　dared　to　attribute　His　judgments　to　Satan；　declaring　that　through
the　power　of　the　evil　one；　Moses　and　Aaron　had　caused　the　death　of　good　and
holy　men。　It　was　this　act　that　sealed　their　doom。　They　had　committed　the　sin
against　the　Holy　Spirit；　a　sin　by　which　man's　heart　is　effectually　hardened
against　the　influence　of　divine　grace。　〃Whosoever　speaketh　a　word　against
the　Son　of　man；〃　said　Christ；　〃it　shall　be　forgiven　him：　but　whosoever
speaketh　against　the　Holy　Ghost；　it　shall　not　be　forgiven　him。〃　Matthew
12：32。　These　words　were　spoken　by　our　Saviour　when　the　gracious　works　which
He　had　performed　through　the　power　of　God　were　attributed　by　the　Jews　to
Beelzebub。　It　is　through　the　agency　of　the　Holy　Spirit　that　God　communicates
with　man；　and　those　who　deliberately　reject　this　agency　as　satanic；　have　cut
off　the　channel　of　communication　between　the　soul　and　Heaven。

God　works　by　the　manifestation　of　His　Spirit　to　reprove　and　convict　the
sinner；　and　if　the　Spirit's　work　is　finally　rejected；　there　is　no　more　that
God　can　do　for　the　soul。　The　last　resource　of　divine　mercy　has　been
employed。　The　transgressor　has　cut　himself　off　from　God；　and　sin　has　no
remedy　to　cure　itself。　There　is　no　reserved　power　by　which　God　can　work　to
convict　and　convert　the　sinner。　〃Let　him　alone〃　（Hosea　4：17）　is　the　divine
command。　Then　〃there　remaineth　no　more　sacrifice　for　sins；　but　a　certain
fearful　looking　for　of　judgment　and　fiery　indignation；　which　shall　devour
the　adversaries。〃　Hebrews　10：26；　27。





（406）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　36

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　the　Wilderness


For　nearly　forty　years　the　children　of　Israel　are　lost　to　view　in　the
obscurity　of　the　desert。　〃The　space；〃　says　Moses；　〃in　which　we　came　from
Kadesh…barnea；　until　we　were　come　over　the　brook　Zered；　was　thirty　and　eight
years；　until　all　the　generation　of　the　men　of　war　were　wasted　out　from　among
the　host；　as　the　Lord　sware　unto　them。　For　indeed　the　hand　of　the　Lord　was
against　them；　to　destroy　them　from　among　the　host；　until　they　were
consumed。〃　Deuteronomy　2：14；　15。

During　these　years　the　people　were　constantly　reminded　that　they　were　under
the　divine　rebuke。　In　the　rebellion　at　Kadesh　they　had　rejected　God；　and　God
had　for　the　time　rejected　them。　Since　they　had　proved　unfaithful　to　His
covenant；　they　were　not　to　receive　the　sign　of　the　covenant；　the　rite　of
circumcision。　Their　desire　to　return　to　the　land　of　slavery　had　shown　them
to　be　unworthy　of　freedom；　and　the　ordinance　of　the　Passover；　instituted　to
commemorate　the　deliverance　from　bondage；　was　not　to　be　observed。

Yet　the　continuance　of　the　tabernacle　service　testified　that　God　had　not
utterly　forsaken　His　people。　And　His　providence　still　supplied　their　wants。
〃The　Lord　thy　God　hath　blessed　thee　in　all　the　works　of　thy　hand；〃　said
Moses；　in　rehearsing　the　history　of　their　wanderings。　〃He　knoweth　thy
walking　through　this　great　wilderness；　these　forty　years　the　Lord　thy　God
hath　been　with　thee；　thou　hast　lacked　nothing。〃　And　the　Levites'　hymn；
recorded　by　Nehemiah；　vividly　pictures　God's　care　for　Israel；　even　during
these　years　of　rejection　and　banishment：　〃Thou　in　Thy　manifold　mercies
forsookest　them　not　in　the　wilderness：　the　pillar　of　the　cloud　departed　not
from　them　by　day；　to　lead　them　in　the　way；　neither　the　pillar　of　fire　by
night；　to　show　them　light；　and　the　way　wherein　they　should　go。　Thou　gavest
also　Thy

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　407

good　Spirit　to　instruct　them；　and　withheldest　not　Thy　manna　from　their
mouth；　and　gavest　them　water　for　their　thirst。　Yea；　forty　years　didst　Thou
sustain　them　in　the　wilderness；　。　。　。　their　clothes　waxed　not　old；　and　their
feet　swelled　not。〃　Nehemiah　9：19…21。

The　wilderness　wandering　was　not　only　ordained　as　a　judgment　upon　the　rebels
and　murmurers；　but　it　was　to　serve　as　a　discipline　for　the　rising
generation；　preparatory　to　their　entrance　into　the　Promised　Land。　Moses
declared　to　them；　〃As　a　man　chasteneth　his　son；　so　the　Lord　thy　God
chasteneth　thee；〃　〃to　humble　thee；　and　to　prove　thee；　to　know　what　was　in
thine　heart；　whether　thou　wouldest　keep　His　commandments；　or　no。　And　He　。　。
。　suffered　thee　to　hunger；　and　fed　thee　with　manna；　which　thou　knewest　not；
neither