Israel was the chosen nation. They had the special watch-care of the God of heaven. Yet ingratitude seemed to characterize their relationship to Jehovah. As one reads the story of the nation of Israel, he is caused to wonder how anyone could have departed from God so many times. Even when they had been delivered from Egyptian bondage, they murmured against their deliverer in the very sight of the Red Sea. The period of Judges saw no improvement. When the kingdom divided so did their allegiance, and Israel went awhoring after other gods. Isaiah 9:16 reads, “For they that lead this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.” It is a sad day when leaders lead their people into apostasy, but such was the case in Israel. They forgot their God and their salvation. They became a rebellious people bowing down to gods that had been made with human hands.
The prophet Hosea penned the words of God when he wrote, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee” (Hosea 4:6). God later said through that prophet, “my people are bent on backsliding from me” (11:7). What sadder day ever dawned in Israel of old than that day when God had rejected them because of a lack of knowledge?
Spiritual Israel
Just as the nation of Israel went away from God in the long ago, Spiritual Israel, the church, can depart from God today. The Israelites were destroyed because of a “lack of knowledge.” And one untaught generation is all that is needed today for the church to be destroyed for the same reason. Christians are charged to study the Word (II Timothy 2:15), elders are enjoined to feed the flock (Acts 20:28), and preachers are commanded to preach the Word (II Timothy 4:2). When Christians, elders, and preachers fail to fulfill their God-given responsibilities, then a sad day for spiritual Israel is on the horizon. God’s people will apostatize because of a lack of knowledge.
Preachers
Paul told Timothy, “I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables” (II Timothy 4:1-4). In the next sentence Paul said, “do the work of an evangelist, fulfill thy ministry.” Earlier he had written, “Till I come, give heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching.... Be diligent in these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy progress may be manifest unto all” (I Timothy 4:13, 15).
The day that preachers cease to do the will of God and begin to please the members and “pastor” the congregation, is the day the church will cease being as strong as it could be, and it will be a sad day in Israel. Heaven knows we have enough of this among us today! We have preachers that are more concerned with the image they present than the Word they preach. We have preachers that know more about politics, social injustices, and the book of etiquette than they know about the Word of God. Pulpits are filled with “How to win friends and influence people” and stories from the leading magazines of the day while people are starving to death, spiritually, for the preaching of the Bible.
Congregations are generally no stronger than their pulpits. Note the congregation that is staying within the “old paths” and then note the kind of preaching they hear. You will find that the preacher they have is a student of the Word. You can listen to him preach or read what he writes and tell where he stands. There is no ambiguity in what he teaches. He stands solidly on God’s Word. He is a student of the Book and seeks to fulfill his God-given responsibility to preach the Word.
We are concerned that too many pulpits (one would be too many for that matter) are not being filled with the kind of preaching that God wants. We firmly believe that churches are being led into apostasy by men who are supposed to be preachers of the Bible.
Elders
Elders are supposed to “feed the flock” (Acts 20:28). Among the responsibilities that are en-joined in that statement would be to see that the pulpit and the classroom have the right kind of teaching. It is sad indeed when preachers rebel against the command to preach the Word, how-ever, it is sadder yet when elders refuse to demand that the Bible be taught by the preacher and classroom teacher. Elders need to tell the preacher that the Bible is going to be taught from the pulpit under their oversight or they are going to know the reason why. They then need to carry out their word. An eldership recently remarked that they were not hearing any Bible preaching from the pulpit at all. They had talked it over with the preacher, but it had done no good. And, they hated to replace him because he was so well liked in the congregation. How ridiculous can one eldership be? Any preacher that refuses to preach the Bible does not need to be replaced, he needs to be removed! (II Thessalonians 3:6).
This writer recently saw a list of responsibilities that an eldership was using in the securing of the services of a preacher. That list demanded of him that he be the perfect “denominational pastor,” however, not a one of the more than a dozen requirements even hinted at his responsibility to study and preach the Word. Several Gospel preachers who have seen the list, some are known brotherhood wide, remarked in unison that the list was ridiculous. Brethren, do all elderships want the Bible in its entirety, taught in the pulpit?
If the church had preachers that would preach the Word and elders that would demand that the Word be taught, widespread apostasy would cease to be a problem. There is nothing that will cure going away from God like a well taught, rooted and grounded in the truth, brotherhood. Elders are going to lose their souls because they failed to feed the flock that was given under their oversight.
Christians
Even if preachers failed to preach God’s Word and elders failed to demand that the Word be taught, all would not be lost if Christians would fulfill their responsibility. They should see to it that the church is fed the Word of God. When a congregation becomes satisfied with the social gospel that never reproves or rebukes it becomes a sad day indeed. What more could you expect than full-scale apostasy? Nothing but destruction could come if preachers did not preach the Bible, elders did not feed the flock, and members no longer cared for the teaching of God’s Word.
An Admonition
We see the church in many areas of the brotherhood drifting away from the ancient landmarks. New sounds and uncertain sounds are coming from their ranks. At the tap root of this digression is the failure—either intentional or unintentional—to teach the Word of God in its purity, simplicity, and entirety. The Bible needs to be preached and its message must be proclaimed without fear or favor. It comes to an attitude that many hold toward the Bible. It is sad but true—some no longer have respect for its teachings. May we awaken before it becomes too late! Preachers, preach the Word. Be a student of the Bible. Spend your time doing what God has commanded you to do! Elders, demand that the Word be taught. See to it that the flock over which you are overseers are fed. And when the Word is taught, stand behind it with all of your support. Christians, see to it that your preacher and elders know that you want, appreciate, and stand behind the preaching of God’s Word. And if you are in a congregation where the Bible is not taught, let your disapproval be noted. The day the church fails to preach the Word is the day the church will begin its journey away from God. Remember Hosea quoted God as saying, “My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge.”
William S. Cline
Defender - May 1972