NO. 2884<\/b><\/p>\n
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, MAY 19TH, 1904,<\/b><\/p>\n
DELIVERED BY C H SPURGEON,<\/i><\/p>\n
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON,<\/b><\/p>\n
ON LORD\u2019S-DAY EVENING, APRIL 9TH, 1876.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD\u2019S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.\u201d \u2014 Exodus 32:26.<\/i><\/p>\n
Those idolatrous people seem to have been awestruck by the appearance of Moses in their midst. You can picture them gathered around Aaron, worshipping the golden calf, and performing their unclean rites; but, as soon as ever Moses marches into the camp, they recognize his commanding presence and his kingly authority. \u201cDrag down that abomination,\u201d he cries; \u201cand break it in pieces;\u201d and though, just now, they were adoring it, they implicitly obey him. The calf is hurled from its pedestal, burnt in the fire, ground to powder, and mingled with the water that the idolaters drank. Then rings out the grand challenge of our text. The, brave man, who seems to stand like a solid rock amid the raging billows, feels it necessary to strike a decisive blow for Jehovah, and once for all to put an end to that shameful idolatry; so, taking his stand, as though to lift up the banner of Jehovah, he cries, \u201cWho is on the Lord\u2019s side? let him come unto me; and all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him;\u201d \u2014 the men who afterwards became the priests of the Most High God. Then came that just but terrible command to execute the idolators, and three thousand of the people perished as a warning to the rest, and that cursed image-worship was stamped out of the camp; at least, for a time.<\/p>\n
Now, dear friends, very much as Moses did, on that occasion, needs to be done very frequently in every age. It is needful that a banner should be displayed because of the truth, and that men should be called out, to rally around it; and those, who do so, those who are the most fearless and the most faithful, shall receive a great reward, even as we read, in the Book of Deuteronomy, that Moses – bestowed a special blessing upon the tribe of Levi because its sons were faithful in that trying and testing time:\u201d And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have-observed thy word, and kept thy covenant.\u201d Blessed are they also, who, in these days, bow not down before the modern idols that so many worship, \u2014 blessed are the brave men who never question whether a certain course will \u201cpay\u201d or not, but who do the right thing, whatever the consequences of their action may be. These are they who, amidst the bright ones in heaven, shall he doubly bright; and who, here below, shall be the officers in the army of the Lord, who shall be called to lead the way in the day of battle. I would that we had many, among us, who would come forward with brave decision, and yield themselves up, without doubt or fear, to follow wherever the God of truth and the truth of God should lead them. High shall be their renown, and great shall be their reward, even as it was with these courageous sons of Levi who so promptly responded to the challenge of Moses, \u201cWho is on the Lord\u2019s side? let him come unto me.\u201d<\/p>\n
What I am going to try to do is, first, to describe the conflict, and show which is the Lord\u2019s side<\/i>; secondly, to point out to the Lord\u2019s followers what they must do<\/i>; thirdly, to remind the Lord\u2019s hosts of their encouragements;<\/i> and, fourthly, to repeat the question of the text, and to put forward proposals for enlistment in the army of the Lord.<\/i><\/p>\n
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I. <\/b>First, then, I have To Describe The Conflict Which Is Now Going On, And To Show You Which Is The Lord\u2019s Side. That is not a very difficult task, and the conscience of each one of you ought to help me in its accomplishment.<\/p>\n
This is where \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side\u201d begins, \u2014 Belief in God against Atheism and other forms of unbelief<\/i>. Infidelity assumes many forms, \u2014 the doubt as to whether there is any God at all; \u2014 the daring defiance of God, if there be a God; or the indifference, which utterly neglects God, not caring about him either one way or another. Believers are on the opposite side to all of these, and you know that the side they are on is \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side.\u201d To fear him, to reverence him, to trust him, to love him, to serve him, to worship him, \u2014 that is being on \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side.\u201d On which side are you, dear friend? Are you a believer, a fearer, a truster, a lover, a worshipper of God; or are you a neglecter, a rejecter, a hater of him?<\/p>\n
Here again are two sides; obedience to the commands of God, or a determination to please ourselves<\/i>. Are we endeavoring to obey the moral law, or are we pouring contempt upon that law, and seeking to be happy by having our own way? How is it with you, my dear friend? Are you making yourself into your only god? Are you allowing your own lusts and passions to be the supreme governing influence over you? Are you saying to yourself, \u201cI will have my own way; I will do as I please; so long as I can make myself merry, I care nothing whatever about the commands of God\u201d? If that is the way you talk, it is quite clear on which side you are. Between the will of the flesh and the will of God, there is no possible question as to which is \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here is another battle-ground; Christ and his righteousness, or your self-righteousness<\/i>; \u2014 cleansing in Christ\u2019s blood, and covering with his perfect righteousness, on the one hand; and, on the other, salvation by your own works, salvation by your own prayers, salvation by your almsgiving, or by anything of your own. You know, at once, which is \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side\u201d out of those, two, for the Lord is always on Christ\u2019s side; indeed, Christ himself is God. Justification by faith is the side on which God is; but justification by the works of the law is a lie; in fact, it is an impossibility. Now, dear friends, on which side are you with regard to this matter of salvation by Christ or salvation by self? Are you \u201con the Lord\u2019s side\u201d of that question?<\/p>\n
Here is yet another point from which to view this great conflict; the gospel of the grace of God, or the superstitions and falsehoods of men<\/i>. The Bible teaches us that sinners are save by believing in Jesus Christ; but superstition says, \u201cNo, they are saved by being sprinkled with water, through the subtle influences that trickle from priestly fingers; they are saved by baptism, saved by sacraments. Here, then, is a sharp conflict between salvation by Christ and salvation by priests. We know which is \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side\u201d of that controversy; but, dear friend, on which side are you? Do you go direct to the Lord Jesus Christ as your great High Priest, and do you trust alone to the merit of his atoning sacrifice; or will you go crouching to your fellow-creature, and pour into his ear the infamous story of your sin, and so defile him even more than he is already; and, then, will you come back deluded with the false notion that you have obtained \u201cabsolution\u201d at his hands? We know that none can forgive sins save God alone; this is the Lord\u2019s way of making reconciliation through the blood of Jesus Christ his Son; so, friends, are you for Zion or for Rome? Are you on the side of Christ or on the side of antichrist?<\/p>\n
There is a fierce battle, still raging in the world, between Scripture and tradition<\/i>, \u2014 between this Grand Old Book and certain things which have been handed down, by tradition, from the fathers. They are said to be customs of the early church, or to have been ordained by various councils, or decreed by infallible popes. Well, dear friends, are you on the side of God\u2019s Word or of man\u2019s word? Is your rule of life, \u201cThus saith the Lord,\u201d or \u201cThus say the fathers,\u201d or \u201c\u2019Thus say the councils,\u201d or \u201cThus say the popes\u201d? \u201cWho is on the Lord\u2019s side \u201cin this matter? There is a stern fight still to be fought over this question; the battle has long been raging, and it will continue to rage until the victory is won by the truth of God. I am looking forward to the time when there will be only two parties left to fight, \u2014 the men who will have this text emblazoned on their standards, \u201cOne Lord, one faith, one baptism,\u201d and who will have nothing but the Bible for their rule of conduct, \u2014 and those bearing the other banner in praise of the inventions of men and the traditions of the fathers. They will cling to their errors, I have no doubt, as long as they can; but the Lamb will overcome them, and they who are on \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side\u201d will also come off more than conquerors through him that hath loved them.<\/p>\n
There are also two sides to all the moral questions in the world. There is holiness, for instance; you all know on whose side that is; and there is unholiness, and you have no difficulty in deciding on whose side that is. Then, as to order, peace, quietness, love, generosity, and so on; you all know on whose side they are; and you equally know on whose side disorder, strife, disaffection, tumult, selfishness, and covetousness are. You are well aware, brethren, that wherever there is anything that is right, true, pure, holy, and of good report, that is \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side.\u201d Wherefore, always be on that side. But if there is anything that is impure, unchaste, unlovely, unjust, that is not \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side\u201d, and it should not be his people\u2019s side. At the present time, this dear land of ours seems as if it were going to be swallowed up by the demon of drunkenness. Temperance, righteousness, sobriety, \u2014 these are all on \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side\u201d of that question, so let every Christian see that he takes the same side as the Lord does. I need not go into all the questions that are prominent at the present time, because they keep on changing their positions; and sometimes it is one question that is most prominent and sometimes another; but to almost every question which comes up, there is \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side\u201d and there is another side, and the question must always be asked, \u201cWhich is the Lord\u2019s side?\u201d and I trust, as soon as that question is answered, you will say, \u201cThat is the side for me to take, \u2014 the side upon which the Lord is.\u201d<\/p>\n
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II. <\/b>Now, secondly, I am To Point Out To The Lord\u2019s Followers What They Must Do To Show That They Are On His Side.<\/p>\n
And the first thing is, they must own it<\/i>. The truth of God deserves to have bold adherents and brave proclaimers. Righteousness ought not to be claimed as the portion of men who are ashamed to own it. Suppose that those sons of Levi had slunk away to their tents, and had said, \u201cOh, yes; we are on the Lord\u2019s side; but we do not mean to expose ourselves to any risk in dealing with these idolaters.\u201d That would have been like the craven spirit of a soldier who shirks his proper place on the field of battle. He is too modest, too retiring to fight; that is only another way of saying that he is a coward, and unworthy of the uniform he wears. In like manner, it is a mean, beggarly spirit that will not lay down life and limb, substance and honor, and everything else that one has, for the cause of God and truth. Oh, for more of the true spirit of chivalry amongst those who call Jesus their Lord and Master! It is a shame that they should ever blush to own his name; they might rather blush with shame to think that they have ever been ashamed of him. I count it nothing, brethren, to speak for the cause that everybody thinks to be good, or to float with the stream by agreeing with what the multitude reckons to be right. Every time-server can do that; but, to swim against the stream, to speak unpopular truth, to declare that which God him taught you, even though nobody else believes it, to beard the lion in his den, to stand \u2014 like Athanasius, \u2014 against the whole world for God and for his Christ, \u2014 this is being a man indeed; nay, more, this is being a Christian; and the time shall come when this shall be reckoned the noblest kind of man whom even God himself has made. So, if you are on God\u2019s side, own it.<\/p>\n
Then, next, rally to the standard<\/i>. Moses cried, \u201cWho is on the Lord\u2019s side? let him come unto me.\u201d If you are a Christian, you should unite with other Christians. I believe, brethren and sisters, that it is the duty of all converts to test the various sections of the professing church by the Word of God, and then to cast in their lot with that part which holds the truth most fully and clearly; and, having conscientiously done that, to rally with the hosts of God in the great battle against wrong. Oh, you converts, who have never joined the church, what are you at? I beseech you, think over this matter, pray over it, and remember that, in the olden times, they first gave themselves unto the Lord, and afterwards they gave themselves unto his people, according to the will of God; and so ought you to do. Believers ought not to be solitary stones, lying by themselves; they should be built up into \u201ca holy temple in the Lord, builded together for a habitation of God through the, Spirit.\u201d So, dear friends, if you are on \u201cthe Lords side\u201d, own it and join with those who also are on that side.<\/p>\n
Then, next, if you are on \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side\u201d, be willing to be in a minority<\/i>. It is true that, minorities have generally come in for kicks and blows, rather than kisses and caresses; but, at the great day of judgment, all such wrongs will be righted. And, after all, it has often been a minority, \u2014 ay, and even a minority of one, \u2014 that has done great things for God, after all. Just now, I mentioned Athanasius. You remember that, when the whole of Christendom seemed to swing round to Arianism, it was Athanasius, standing alone, \u201cAthanasius contra mundum<\/i>,\u201d as he truly said, who brought the Church back to belief in the Deity of Christ. And in the days of Luther, who can ever tell what a pivot and hinge that one lone man was for Germany and Europe? And in Scotland, what force there was in the one brave man, John Knox, whose preaching and prayers Queen Mary feared more than an army of soldiers! Few followed these brave leaders at the first, for following meant the stake, the scaffold, the prison, suffering, shame, reproach, and death, yet these were the men and women who did the true work of God, after all, and who fought the good fight of faith. Be ye followers of them, run not with the multitude to do evil; rather choose the narrow way, that leadeth unto life, though few there be that find it. From the days of Noah, the followers of the Lord have usually been in the minority. If the rightness of any course could be decided by the counting of heads, the devil would mostly be in the right: but we do not reckon in that way. We test every question by the Word of God, not by the votes of men. If the Lord has said anything, believe it, even if no one else does. If the Lord has revealed any truth to your conscience, hold to it, even though, to all others, it should seem to be a lie; and, verily, I say unto you, you shall have your reward. The sons of Levi were in a minority, in comparison with the great host of idolaters in the camp of Israel, yet they came out boldly for the Lord, and are, therefore, held in honor even to this day.<\/p>\n
Further, you must be aggressive<\/i> if you are on \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side.\u201d These sons of Levi, directly they declared that they were on the side of Jehovah, had to come forth to smite and slay his enemies. So must you, if you are a follower of the Lord. There is nothing that the devil likes better than to be let alone. I am often asked, \u201cWhy do you not preach what you believe, and leave other people\u2019s doctrine alone? \u201cAh, just so! Why don\u2019t I? And why did not the Lord Jesus Christ let the devil alone, and let false teachers alone; and why does not the gospel let error and falsehood alone? When the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world, one part of his work was to destroy the works of the devil. The demons said to him, \u201cLet us alone: what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us?\u201d His answer was, \u201cHold thy peace, and come out of him;\u201d and when the demons say to us, \u201cLet us alone,\u201d we reply, \u201cThat is the very thing that we cannot do, and that we dare not do.\u201d We must not let falsehood, and sin, and error alone. Christ himself said, \u201cThink not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.\u201d His faithful servants are to follow his example, to quarrel with error, to fight against sin, to be aggressive against everything that is opposed to our Lord and his truth. The devil is quite ready to make a league of peace with us, or to agree to a truce, and say, \u201cNow, do not go on fighting any longer. Let us shake hands, and be friends. There can be no reason why I should not continue to be the prince of the power of the air, and Christ should also have his disciples; only let them be very decorous and quiet, and mind their own business.\u201d But we will make no such wicked league or truce as that, for we are to resist the devil; as Peter writes, \u201cwhom resist steadfast in the faith.\u201d The sons of Levi had to smite the adversaries of God, and so must you who are on \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side.\u201d<\/p>\n
You must also let love to God overmaster all nature\u2019s ties<\/i> if you are on \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side.\u201d Moses expressly commended Levi for this: \u201cWho said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children.\u201d They were so jealous for the Lord of hosts, that they would not tolerate idolatry in their nearest kith and kin. Happily, brethren, we have not to fight anybody with a sword of steel. God forbid that any of us should ever take the life of a fellow-creature! Our one weapon is the two-edged sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; the force we use is the force of the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. But, I charge you, never do a wrong thing, or even a questionable thing, in order to please father, or mother, or wife, or child; and never allow any wrong to go unrebuked in the dearest friend you have, for \u201cfaithful are the wounds of a friend.\u201d Some have condoned sin to please a wife or a husband; but they who are faithful to God must also be faithful to the members of their own household. This may involve persecution for themselves; but they must be willing to bear it, for Christ\u2019s sake, and they must not yield an inch, or an iota, in any matter of principle, or any question of truth and right, even to the beloved of their heart. Can you do this? If so, you are worthy to be reckoned among those who are on \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once more, they who are on \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side\u201d Must do as they are bidden<\/i>. They must be prepared to obey all Christ\u2019s commands, to the letter, and also in the spirit of them, right to the end of life. I am ashamed of the way in which some professing Christians ignore so much of the Bible, shutting their eyes to Christ\u2019s commands, or, like, Nelson, turning their blind eye to those they don\u2019t wish to read. Finding themselves in a certain community, they believe what the community believes, without ever testing it, and trying it, by the Word of God. They do not want to know too much; and if anybody tries to teach them a truth which they do not know, they are unwilling to learn it, lest it should unsettle them in their ecclesiastical position. I bless God that, when I was converted to Christ, I laid down this rule for myself, \u2014 \u201dWhatever the Lord teaches me, in his Word, I will follow. If it should lead me into a path where I shall be quite alone, because I can find nobody to believe as I believe, yet will I believe and teach that which the Holy Spirit reveals to me in the Word.\u201d At this moment, I have not an atom of respect for any authority, in matters relating to divine truth, except the authority of God; and I would strongly urge all young people to try all catechisms, creeds, customs, doctrines, practices, and everything else, by that infallible test: \u201cTo the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.\u201d<\/p>\n
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III. <\/b>Thirdly, I am to remind The Lord\u2019s Hosts Of Their Encouragements.<\/p>\n
First, we may be encouraged to be on \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side because it is the cause of right and truth<\/i>. To me, it seems to be a sufficient reward to a man to know that he is defending a right cause even if he has to die for it. Do you crave the applause of human hands and voicest? Do you covet the glance of approving eyes? If so, your self-respect has already fallen below the point which it ought to mark. Are you right in the course you are now pursuing? If you are, you need not ask for anything more. To be right, and yet to be poor; \u2014 to be right, and to be abused, or even to be put to death; \u2014 is, surely, sufficient for any follower of the Lord.<\/p>\n
Better still, if there can be any better, remember that you are on God\u2019s side<\/i>. He, who is almighty, looks upon you as his friend; or, rather, say that he, who is almighty, is your Friend. He is much more than that, for he is your All-in-all. You may shelter yourself beneath his wings. Behind the bosses of his buckler, you may hide yourself in perfect security.<\/p>\n
Moreover, Jesus the Crucified is with you<\/i>, if you are on \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side.\u201d There he stands, whose head was crowned with the cruel thorns, and whose hands and feet were pierced by the terrible nails. Blessed is every soldier of the cross, for he hath Christ for his Captain; and where his pennon waves, victory must surely come.<\/p>\n
Further, my brethren and sisters in Christ, all the saints of God are with us<\/i>; \u2014 the countless hosts of the redeemed, before the throne of God above, are all on his side, and ours; and so are all the holy angels<\/i>. \u201cthat excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his Word.\u201d All the unfallen intelligences in the universe are on \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side.\u201d Therefore let us not be afraid, who are enrolled beneath the banner of the cross; and let others cast in their lot with us; for, thus, they will be siding with a noble host that has gone on before us. The lineage of the saints of God is a very high one. Talk of the blood royal or imperial; \u2014 bah! a single drop of the blood of the martyrs, flowing through our veins, is far more tobe desired. To walk as they walked, \u201cof whom the world was not worthy,\u201d \u2014 those first confessors of the destitute, afflicted, tormented;\u201d \u2014 this is to be a member of the blood royal of heaven, the highest nobility that can be gained in this world. How many of you, young men and young women, or older men and women, are ready to say, \u201cWe are on the Lord\u2019s side\u201d? The air all around us is crowded with the spirits of just men made perfect. They are watching to see how we run the Christian race, and wrestle for the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus; and they sing a new song of praise unto the Lord as he leads one and another to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints, to stand out boldly for Christ and him crucified, and to speak, or serve, or suffer, as best shall glorify the Lord Most High.<\/p>\n
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IV. <\/b>Time and strength both fail me, so I cannot say more upon that point, though much more might be said. I am, in closing my discourse, To Repeat The Question Of The Text, And To Make Proposals For Enlistment In The Army Of The Lord. I should like to act as a recruiting sergeant, and to enlist some new soldiers for King Jesus.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is on the Lord\u2019s side?\u201d \u201cWell,\u201d says one, \u201cI wish to be.\u201d Well, I will gladly help you to enlist. You know what the sergeant does when he enlists a young man; the first thing he does is to give him something, \u2014 a shilling; and if you intend to be a follower of the Lord, you must receive something<\/i>; or, rather, you must receive Someone, even the Lord Jesus Christ, for \u201cas many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.\u201d You cannot be on \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side\u201d unless you receive the Lord\u2019s Christ as your Savior; but as soon as you accept him as the free gift of Jehovah\u2019s free grace, you are enlisted into the army of the Lord. Will you take him on those terms? Will you have the Lord Jesus Christ as your Captain? I pray his gracious Spirit to make you say, \u201cAy, that I will, by his grace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Next, the sergeant puts the ribbons in the young man\u2019s hat; and, if you receive Christ, the next thing you have to do is to confess Christ openly by being baptized<\/i>. Our Captain\u2019s own words, as recorded in the gospel according to Mark, are these, \u201cHe that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;\u201d and what he has joined together, no one has the right to put asunder. So, get the colors in your hat, young recruit, if you really are enlisted on \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side.\u201d<\/p>\n
When you have done that, the next thing for us to do is to take your off to the barracks, and drill you<\/i>. You will not be fully fitted to fight the Lord\u2019s battles until you have been drilled and trained by your new officers. So, submit yourself to the discipline of the Church of Christ. Be willing to take your place in the ranks with your brethren, to follow the New Testament church order, to be taught what are the first principles of the Christian faith, and to be instructed yet further in the things of God, so that, afterwards, you may be able, in your turn, to instruct others. Christ\u2019s commission runs thus, \u201cAll power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them (those who are made disciples) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.\u201d So, you see, we are to teach before we baptize, and afterwards still further to teach those who have been made disciples, and who have been baptized into the triune name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.<\/p>\n
Then, we shall want you to put on your full regimentals<\/i>. What are the regimentals of a Christian? The garments of holiness, the livery of love, and the whole armor of God. We pray the Lord to clothe you, from head to foot, in the divine panoply wherein all the warriors of the cross should be arrayed; \u2014 the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, \u201cthe helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God.\u201d There is nothing like having you, Bible always with you, and being able to turn to any passage that you need when you are confronting the foe; for \u201cIt is written\u201d is a wondrous weapon against the devil, as Christ himself proved. Satan flees from this sharp sword, and other adversaries of the Lord, and his people, feel the force of the Word when they will not yield to anything else.<\/p>\n
Then, when you are fully armed, and drilled, and trained, we shall expect you to wage war for King Jesus<\/i>; and the first war must be a civil war, \u2014 war within your own soul, \u2014 war to the bitter end against every sin, every evil habit, every false word. All iniquity must be driven out of your spirit, at the point of the bayonet, and no quarter must be given to any enemy of the Most High God. Then, even while the civil war is raging, we shall want you to carry the war into the enemy\u2019s territory. Attack the foe on all sides, \u2014 speak to your friends about Christ, so live that they will see Christ\u2019s life reproduced in you, at least in a measure; \u2014 plead with those with whom you work or live, \u2014 the servants in the house, or your companions, all sorts and conditions of men, \u2014 tell them all about Jesus Christ. If we were once to have a church fully awakened, and zealous for Christ and his truth, we should soon have the persecuting times back again. The early Christian church was very enthusiastic; they went everywhere preaching the Word. Somebody says, \u201cAh! they lived in the days of persecution.\u201d But it was not the persecution which made them enthusiastic; it was their enthusiasm that brought upon them persecution for Christ\u2019s sake; and, probably, if we were as good Christians as we ought to be, we should not be half as well liked by the world as we now are; and if there was more noise and opposition made against the followers of Christ, it would not, be at all a bad sign. If those, who hate righteousness, hated Christians more heartily than they now do, it might be a token that God was more manifestly at work in us, making us more \u201cout-and-out\u201d for him than we are at present.<\/p>\n
Now, then, you who are on \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side\u201d in this congregation, \u2014 you who really believe in Jesus, \u2014 I invite all of you to confess your faith in him if you have not already done so. Nay, more than that, in the name of Jesus, in whom you believe, I exhort and command you to confess your faith in him. Be not ashamed to avow your convictions; do not try to conceal yourselves from your fellow Christians. Come out, and come out soon; and may the numbers of this church, or of some other church, be greatly swollen by the addition of those who are truly upon \u201cthe Lord\u2019s side.\u201d I wish I could persuade some of you not to put off this confession any longer, but to say, \u201cI love my Savior, and I mean to come out, and confess that I am on \u2019the Lord\u2019s side.\u2019 I have been far too long hesitating, and halting between two opinions; but I will not let another week go by without saying, as plainly as words can say it, \u201cI have given myself to Christ, and now I wish to give myself to his Church.\u2019\u201d May God bless you all for Jesus Christ\u2019s sake! Amen.<\/p>\n
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON.<\/p>\n
EXODUS 32:1-29.<\/b><\/p>\n
Verse 1. And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us, for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.<\/i><\/p>\n
They wanted something to look at, \u2014 something visible that they could adore. It was not that they meant to cease to worship Jehovah, but they intended to worship him under some tangible symbol. That is the great fault of Ritualists and Romanists, they aim at worshipping God, but they must do so through some sign, some symbol, some cross, some crucifix, or something or other that they can see.<\/p>\n
2, 3. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.<\/i><\/p>\n
People are often very generous in their support of a false religion; and, to make idol gods, they will sacrifice their most precious treasures, as these idolaters willingly gave their golden earrings.<\/p>\n
4. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a gravinq tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.<\/i><\/p>\n
No doubt they copied the Egyptian God, which was in the form of a bull, which the Holy Spirit, by the pen of Moses, here calls a calf. The psalmist probably also alludes to it when he speaks of \u201can ox or a bullock that hath horns and hoofs.\u201d It seems strange that these people should have thought of worshipping the-living God under such a symbol as that.<\/p>\n
5. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cTo Jehovah.\u201d They intended to worship Jehovah under the form of a bull \u2014 the image of strength. Other idolaters go further, and worship Baal and various false gods, but, between the worship of a golden calf and the worship of false gods, there is very little choice; and, between the idolatry of the heathen and Popery, there is about as much difference as there is between six and half a dozen.<\/p>\n
6. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.<\/i><\/p>\n
It was usual to worship false gods with music and dancing and with orgies of drunkenness and obscene rites, and the Israelites fell into the same evils as they had seen among their neighbors.<\/p>\n
7. And the LORD said unto Moses,-<\/i><\/p>\n
Just in the midst of his hallowed communion, the Lord said to him: \u2014 <\/p>\n
7. Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:<\/i><\/p>\n
God would not own them as his people. He called them Moses\u2019 people: \u201cthy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
8-10. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, these are thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.<\/i><\/p>\n
For Moses began at once to pray for the people, \u2014 to interpose between God and the execution of his righteous wrath; and, therefore, the Lord said to him, \u201cLet me alone,… that I may consume them.\u201d<\/p>\n
11. And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath was hot against thy people, \u2014 <\/i><\/p>\n
See how he dares even to say to God, \u201cThey are thy people, though they have acted so wickedly. \u2019Why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people,\u2019\u201d \u2014 <\/p>\n
11-13. Which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Therefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.<\/i><\/p>\n
Moses pleaded the covenant which the Lord had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and there is no plea like that. Although it might have been to his own personal interest that the people should be destroyed, Moses would not have it so; and he pleaded with God, for the sake of his own honor, his faithfulness, and his truth, not to run back from the word which he had spoken.<\/p>\n
14, 15. And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. And Moses turned, and went down from the mount,<\/i><\/p>\n
Does it not seem sad for Moses to have to go down from the immediate presence of God, and to stand among the idolatrous and rebellious people in the camp? Yet that is often the lot of those whom God employs as his servants. They have, as it were, to come down from heaven to fight with hell upon earth.<\/p>\n
15-17. And the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides, on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.<\/i><\/p>\n
For Joshua was a younger man than Moses, and also a soldier, so his ear was quicker to hear what he took to be \u201ca noise of war in the camp.\u201d<\/p>\n
18. And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.<\/i><\/p>\n
Moses knew that it was not a battle-cry either of the victors or the vanquished; but the song of idolatrous worshippers.<\/p>\n
19. And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing and Moses\u2019 anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.<\/i><\/p>\n
In righteous indignation, preserving those sacred tablets from the profane touch of the polluted people, by dashing them to fragments in his holy anger<\/p>\n
20. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.<\/i><\/p>\n
Think of the courage of this one man, to go singlehanded right into the middle of the idolaters\u2019 camp, and deal thus with their precious god!<\/p>\n
21-24. And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.<\/i><\/p>\n
Which was a lie. Aaron was a poor weak-minded creature, easily persuaded to do wrong; and when his stronger-minded and more gracious brother was absent, he became the willing tool of the idolatrous people; and yet Aaron is called, by the psalmist, \u201cthe saint of the Lord,\u201d and so he was, taking him as a whole. One black spot, on the face of a fair man, does not prove him to be a negro; and so, one sin, in the life of a man who is usually holy, does not put him among the ungodly.<\/p>\n
25-28. And when Moses saw that the people were naked, (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies) then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD\u2019S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses:<\/i><\/p>\n
The rebellious, the idolatrous, the men who had defied the authority of God, were to be summarily executed on the spot.<\/p>\n
28, 29. And there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.<\/i><\/p>\n
Such a colossal crime as that must be expiated before the Lord could again bless the chosen race.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NO. 2884 A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, MAY 19TH, 1904, DELIVERED BY C H SPURGEON, AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON LORD\u2019S-DAY EVENING, APRIL 9TH, 1876. \u201cThen Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD\u2019S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered … Continue reading “\u201cWHO IS ON THE LORD\u2019S SIDE?\u201d”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4213"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4213\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}