Man is obsessed with spiritual innovation. Doing things God's way seems to be one of his greatest problems. He constantly seems to be trying to re-invent the spiritual wheel. Any way, but God's way, seems to be the best way, as far as man is concerned. He seems to want to row his own canoe upstream against the will of God. He doesn't hesitate to seize the initiative at every opportunity and try to become the master of his own fate and captain of his own soul.
The scriptures are replete with examples of those who have gone down this road of rebellion to their own sorrow and destruction. Nadab and Abihu, two priests of the Mosaic order, offered strange fire before the altar of the Lord and were consumed by it. As far as we can ascertain, their innovative attempt at fire making was not based upon any lack of the proper combustibles, but upon their insistence upon doing things their own way. Uzzah, a servant anxious to please King David, was the sort of fellow most would admire. He saw a potentially great disaster developing right before his eyes and heroically leapt into the breach. He reached up to steady the God's Ark of the Covenant as it tottered on the jolting ox cart, risking being crushed or run over, but the culmination of his noble effort came when he fell dead upon the ground. Simply because he didn't do it God's way. No man was permitted to touch the Ark of God no matter what the provocation.
I read of a demolition firm doing a grand job demolishing a building worth tens of thousands of dollars. There was just one problem. In spite of their sincerity and dedication to the task, they had the wrong address. I read of home owner who in a moment of panic grabbed a can he assumed was filled with water and dashed it upon a small fire that was threatening to destroy his home. Undoubtedly he was very sincere in his effort and had nothing but the best of intent. But there was just one problem. Someone had filled the can with petrol.
Man is much like that. He is often sincere and dedicated in his attempts to please God. But he does not feel it important to do it God's way. God has said, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is the ways of death." Jesus spoke of man's broad way versus God's narrow way and the tendency of the masses to go down the broad way to destruction. Paul emphasised the necessity of God's people doing everything strictly according to the pattern given by God. Moses and then Solomon cautioned against moving the landmarks of faith that God has set in the land.
Many times it would be better to do nothing at all than to fail to do things God's way. But neither error is necessary. God has settled His Word in the heavens forever and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. It is a lamp to the path of a Christian to show him the right way in the world today. "Remove not the old landmarks..your fathers have set." Proverbs 23:10
No comments:
Post a Comment