The words of men

It was David who put the question to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men?” David was a fugitive at En-gedi, and Saul, with 3000 chosen men, was pursuing him. David spared his life in the cave, and to manifest his innocence he had cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe, thereby shewing Saul he could have slain him had he wished.

David’s men argued with him that the Lord had given his enemy Saul into his hand. Men of lesser calibre than David might have been beguiled, but David was guided by higher principles. “The Lord forbid that I should put forth my hand against the Lord’s anointed.” Then he called after Saul, “My Lord the King”. And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, David seeks your hurt?” David was innocent, but the deadly jealousy drove Saul onwards, his enmity being fanned to fever heat by the words of men. Saul repented but David knew how shallow was that repentance and how short lived, and although Saul departed from him, David did not relax his vigilance.

How often do we find this to be true, even among those who profess the Truth? Rumour is very often “a lying jade” as proverb has it, and when the rumour is being circulated it could often be nipped in the bud if the advice of Jesus was followed. Go and have a quiet talk with the one guilty of it “between thee and him alone”, and very often this is all that is necessary. There is another saying, that “a lie is half­way around the world before truth can get its boots on” and this, too, can be very true. James uses a very true and powerful illustration when he refers to speech being like a conflagration which a very small matter has kindled. Paul was very insistent on the qualifications of bishops and deacons, and “their wives also”, none of whom had to be “slanderers” as the R.V. has it. Devils, of course, is the original word.

But this matter of “other men’s words” can assume a different, but at least an equally serious angle. In a lot of men and women hero-worship is a prevalent characteristic to a greater or less degree. When this is so (and most of us are guilty of it) it is so easy to take the words of the “hero” as being an oracle almost, to question which is heresy.

Let us take an illustration and guidance from Dr. Thomas. Here is a man whose works we value highly and in them he, being dead, yet speaketh. In his writings, he insists that the reader shall check up from the Word of God the accuracy — or otherwise — of the things he (the Doctor) puts forward. Should the agreement not be there, then the reader must “set his face like a flint” determined that he is going to accept the Word of God. Indeed, on one occasion the Doctor says “Will the reader run his pen through what I have written on page … of … ” With passing years and advancing knowledge, he realised how inaccurate and immature was what he had written previously, and he was a big enough man to admit it. Do we wisely adopt the same principle?

As we are at present constituted, we have not the guidance of the Holy Spirit, or the guidance of anyone who has. Consequently, we refer to the Word of God for guidance for, having been inspired by the Holy Spirit, it is the next best thing to having possession of the Spirit itself. Consequently, whatever any man may say, it is incumbent upon us to check up what he says against the standard of the Word of God. If it agrees, accept it. If it disagrees, reject it without any hesitation. We do not want man’s opinion, whatever position he may occupy, or however extensive his possessions. What we want is the guidance of the Word of God, and only that. “To the Law and to the Testimony” is the Divine command.

Again, let the decisions to which we come be guided by the general consensus of Scripture. It is unwise to base any opinion or any action upon a single passage of Scripture. For example, Jesus told the rich young man “One thing thou lackest … sell that thou hast.. give to the poor and come and follow me.” There is a clear command, but it was given in one specific case and we should be using Scripture most unwisely if we called on all the brotherhood to sell all their possessions, give them away to the poor, and then “follow Jesus”. And then, too, the immediate context must also be consulted and studied. That often leads to the real meaning of the verse under consideration, whichever verse it may be.

James advises “Be not many teachers for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness. For we all make many mistakes, and if anyone make no mistakes in what he says, he is a perfect man.” (James 3:1, 2, R.S.V.) How true that is. It is probably true to say that in nearly all cases, as we get older our views mellow somewhat, and we often view differently the convictions and actions of younger years. We appreciate that there are more facets to be considered than perhaps we had realised in earlier life. We often realise, too, as our own knowledge and experience grows, that the hero whom we worshipped had feet of clay, and this realization makes a lot of difference. James says Elijah was a man “of like passions to ourselves”, and if that applies to a man of God like Elijah, how true indeed of lesser mortals!