“What Doest Thou Here?”
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him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that
escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.”
Elijah had thought that he alone in Israel was a worshiper of the
true God. But He who reads the hearts of all revealed to the prophet
that there were many others who, through the long years of apostasy,
had remained true to Him. “I have left Me,” God said, “seven thousand
in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every
mouth which hath not kissed him.”
From Elijah’s experience during those days of discouragement and
apparent defeat there are many lessons to be drawn, lessons invaluable
to the servants of God in this age, marked as it is by general departure
from right. The apostasy prevailing today is similar to that which in
the prophet’s day overspread Israel. In the exaltation of the human
above the divine, in the praise of popular leaders, in the worship of
mammon, and in the placing of the teachings of science above the
truths of revelation, multitudes today are following after Baal. Doubt
and unbelief are exercising their baleful influence over mind and heart,
and many are substituting for the oracles of God the theories of men.
It is publicly taught that we have reached a time when human reason
should be exalted above the teachings of the Word. The law of God,
the divine standard of righteousness, is declared to be of no effect. The
enemy of all truth is working with deceptive power to cause men and
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women to place human institutions where God should be, and to forget
that which was ordained for the happiness and salvation of mankind.
Yet this apostasy, widespread as it has come to be, is not universal.
Not all in the world are lawless and sinful; not all have taken sides
with the enemy. God has many thousands who have not bowed the
knee to Baal, many who long to understand more fully in regard to
Christ and the law, many who are hoping against hope that Jesus will
come soon to end the reign of sin and death. And there are many who
have been worshiping Baal ignorantly, but with whom the Spirit of
God is still striving.
These need the personal help of those who have learned to know
God and the power of His word. In such a time as this, every child of
God should be actively engaged in helping others. As those who have
an understanding of Bible truth try to seek out the men and women
who are longing for light, angels of God will attend them. And where
angels go, none need fear to move forward. As a result of the faithful