The Man Whom God Raised Up

By Roy Loney

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     The crowd that filled the synagogue that sabbath day did not know an announcement of importance was to be made. The order of services followed a set pattern. Different readers read from the law and the prophets, with others giving their comments on what had been read. On this day the rulers noticed two strangers in the audience and a courteous invitation was extended to them to speak. A small man arose and began to speak with dignity.

     He reminded the audience that God had chosen Israel to be his people, and that they were enslaved in Egypt by the Pharaohs. After several centuries of hard servitude God delivered them by the hand of Moses. The wilderness wanderings were then recounted and the information given that God, through Joshua, conquered the seven nations of Canaan, and planted his people therein. After Joshua's death, Israel lapsed into idolatry, and nearby nations were permitted to afflict them. Yet when Israel repented and turned to God, the Lord raised up judges who delivered them, then ruled them until their deaths. Samuel was the last of these, and in his old age Israel demanded a king as a permanent ruler. The Lord chose Saul, but he proved rebellious, and he chose David to succeed him. The speaker at this point in his narrative, made this significant announcement: "Of this man's seed (David) hath God according to his promise, raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus" (Acts 13:23).

     Following the death of David, a long succession of his seed ruled over Israel, whose perpetual backslidings brought upon them the wrath of God. Their general unworthiness finally caused God to vacate the throne until One would come who would have undisputed right to David's throne (Ezek. 21:25,26). Numerous prophets were also sent to reveal the will of God with reference to Israel and other nations. These were more faithful than the majority of the kings. They denounced idolatry and foretold the coming of Israel's Saviour and Redeemer. He who was to be wonderful Counsellor, and Prince of peace, would restore Israel to God's spiritual favor, and bring redemption to all mankind. Some of those prophets waxed eloquent in describing the nature and character of Him who would stand between God and sinful man. No mere man, be he prophet, priest, or king, could make man properly conscious of the terrible "wrath of God revealed from heaven against unrighteousness and ungodliness of men."

     Moses had been told that God would raise up a prophet from among the brethren "like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and shall speak unto them all that I command him" (Deut. 18:18). So the Son of David, the Son of God, was born of the virgin Mary, and grew to manhood in the obscure village of Nazareth. Appearing unannounced to the Baptist on the banks of Jordan, he demanded baptism as the means of fulfilling all righteousness. Soon "the people which sat in great darkness saw a great light, and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light sprang up. The many miracles of healing gave proof even to the educated Nicodemus that this was a teacher sent from God. His teaching astounded his enemies, who declared that "never man spake like this man. The highest moral idealism of all time was taught in the great sermon on the mount and in other lessons delivered to the chosen apostles. His deep interest in the welfare of humanity was shown when he mingled his tears of compassion with the heartbroken sisters at Bethany, but most important was his death upon the tree of Calvary, the just dying for the unjust that he might reconcile all unto God.

     That cross reveals the highest idealism of God who sent His Son to pay the penalty for the sins of the world. Nothing else in history has had such power for purity, morality, reformation of character,

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and spiritual stimulation. The whole of Christ's influence is centered in that cross. He said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." That story of redeeming love reforms the sinful, sobers the drunkard, makes the thief honest and purifies the vile. The religion of Jesus Christ has a cross at the very center of it. Leave out Calvary, and Christianity dwindles to a weak and empty cult, a system of impossible ethics. Only the cross can give man the stimulation to rise above the sordid and degrading things of time. It is the only thing that can arrest his rapid descent into hell. Nothing before it and nothing after, can raise a man above the level of a beast. Only the cross can raise man to God-likeness!

     Paul preached nothing but Christ and him crucified. He gloried in nothing save the cross. He realized that the only voice that can speak peace to a troubled heart, is the voice that once was stilled at Golgotha. He knew that the only hands that can be raised to bless struggling man, were the hands that were nailed to the tree. The only heart that could be moved with effective compassion for ruined man, was the heart that was broken with grief for you and me. He who bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, can never be replaced with a better Saviour. For nineteen hundred years this great high priest of our profession has been lifting man from the mire of sin to the hills of spiritual companionship with God. Christ is the only hope of this world. God, in His infinite love, raised up one person, the Son of David, the Son of Mary, the Son of God, in one last effort to save men from hell.

     But there are those today, looking through Elijah's dark glasses of discouragement at the unfavorable moral and spiritual conditions, who express the need of a Joshua "who will rise up as God's leader for this day, and halt the sun in the heavens, and cause the moon to stand still." I share the concern of the writer quoted for the salvation of the world. I am grieved at the indifference of people toward religion. But I do not see the need of a "Joshua" being raised up as the means of leading men back to God. Our need is not for one Joshua, but for every member to become a Joshua, in helping to stop the rapid plunge of mankind toward eternal destruction. The means of saving the world were given nineteen hundred years ago. The gospel is the "power of God unto salvation."

     The rich man in Hades wanted Lazarus "raised up" to save his brethren. Abraham reminded him that "they have Moses and the prophets." The rich man expressed the belief that his brethren would repent "If one went unto them from the dead." But Abraham stated if they would not hear Moses and the prophets, "neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead." We not only have Moses and the prophets but Christ and his apostles. We have the new testament, containing the perfect revelation of God. What could a new Joshua do that any sincere Christian cannot do, if the available means are used as God intended?

     The sad fact is that we have lost the whole spirit of Christianity in our absorption of doctrinal or external matters of the law. Many have become so engrossed in such matters they have all but lost sight of Christ. The weakness of present day religion is not in the lack of means God has provided, but in our failure to use the means. We have relegated Christ to a throne in the heavens, too far away to be a blessing to weak and sinful man. The crying need is not to mope and moan about the sins and follies of men, but to bring Christ into sinful careless hearts. Christ is not just a character who lived and died nineteen hundred years ago, but a loving compassionate Christ who can come through your door and mine, hold our trembling hands and cool our fevered brows.

     The Christ who wore the crown of thorns, now wears the royal diadem, but this does not prevent Him from coming into our homes, sitting by our sides, and uttering words of sympathy and love. He, who has explored all the avenues of pain, temptation, and sorrow, is able to help all who sit in the shadow of shame and sorrow. Why call for a new leader, when at this moment Christ stands knocking at

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the door of your hearts? "Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him, and sup with him, and he with me." Is not He the same, yesterday, today, and forever?

     Having Him, why do we need a new Joshua? To the true Christian, He is the fairest among ten thousand and one altogether lovely. What more do we need? Could a modern "Joshua" do more than what Christ has already done? If we have no inclination to talk and write about Christ, what else can we offer to the world? Is not Jesus Christ our hope (1 Tim. 1:1)? Christianity has not failed, but the professed people of God have miserably failed Christianity in that they have neglected the spirit for the letter, and have emphasized the doctrinal to the neglect of the spiritual.

     Our needs today? We do not need small men with big ambitions to be great reformers. We need talented men who are small enough in their own eyes to realize their deep personal need of the sin-forgiving Christ! To go forward, we must go backward and share with Christ the agony of Gethsemane, then stand with him on Mount Olive, and recapture the missionary spirit of world-wide missions. It has been well said that it is "Either Christ or Chaos." It will not take a new Joshua to bring men back to God. Take Him out of the preaching, teaching, and writing and the red and purple streamers of the setting sun will point to the doom of the world. If we will reincarnate Christ in men's lives the gloomy darkness of impending fate will be replaced by the beautiful rainbow of glorious hope. That is our real need!