"Loudly, of throat and as with trumpet-voice, the prophet is to cry and denounce the rebellion and the sins of the people."
- Both quotes are from The Pulpit Commentary
What does your city need? What does Dallas, Texas...Harrisburg, Pennsylvania...New York City, New York...Raleigh, North Carolina...Atlanta, Georgia...Boise, Idaho...Augusta, Maine... Phoenix, Arizona...and Denver, Colorado need?
According to the above quote from The Pulpit Commentary, they need a "voice," a "cry," a "preaching in the proper sense of that word."
What is the proper sense of the word - "cry"?
This particular Commentary described it as a "plain and powerful witness to man's sin and need" and to "God's grace and power to save." But not only that - they also defined it as a "summons to repentance and surrender."
How is this "cry" against "the rebellion and the sins of the people" to be delivered?
The above quote gives the answer - "with a trumpet-voice."
Let me ask you - is this happening in your city? Is this "trumpet-voice" "cry" against the "sins of the people" sounding out from the "pulpits" of the churches, ministries, etc. in your location?
God through the Prophet Isaiah made it plain and clear how this "cry" was to be "voiced." We read the command given in Isaiah 58:1 which says - "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."
"Cry aloud"
- what did the Lord mean by that?
The Prophet (Preacher) was to "cry" with a full voice coming from the throat and the lungs. He was to "cry" with strength - as loud as he could so as to arrest the attention of the people. It was to be a strong, powerful "cry" as when one exerts his voice and rends his throat. It was to be delivered with intenseness of his spirit and vehemence of his affection. The loudness would suggest the importance of the message.
"Spare not"
- what was it that the Prophet (Preacher) was not to "spare"?
First of all, he was not to "spare" or restrain his voice or refrain from speaking. He was to let his voice be full, loud, or strong. Secondly, he was not to "spare" the people - not being afraid to offend or anger them with his reproofs. Lastly, he was not to "spare" himself or his own pains - even though it might cost him dearly.
"Lift up thy voice like a trumpet"
- what exactly did God require of the Prophet (Preacher)?
He was to speak loudly and distinctly so that the language of reproof would be heard by all. Remember that the people are insensible and stupid - spiritually speaking. Hence, they needed something that would arouse them to a sense of their guilt.
He was not to speak in whispers or in part. The message was an "alarm." Therefore, he was to give his reproofs in the most powerful and pressing manner possible - delivering them publicly, boldly, and with ardor and affection.
"And show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."
- what type of message was the Prophet (Preacher) to deliver to God's people?
He was to be particular in telling them of their faults or the sins which they committed among themselves. He was to point out to them how they were especially offending God - through their coldness, deadness, formality, hypocrisy in religious worship, and imperfect works. He was to show them how they were more zealous for externals than for inward holiness.
Read what Matthew Henry had to say on this - "The minister must be faithful. He must be vehement and in good earnest, must cry aloud, and not spare. Not spare them, nor touch them with his reproofs as if he were afraid of hurting them, but search the wound to the bottom; lay it bare to the bone; not spare himself, or his own pains, but cry as loud as he can...Though he spend his strength, and waste his spirits; though he get their ill-will by it, and get himself into an ill-name; yet he must not spare. The trumpet doth not give an uncertain sound, but, though loud and shrill, is intelligible. So must his alarms be, giving them warning of the fatal consequences of sin."
Just how many ministers do we have today who are indeed "faithful" to God's command? How many are "crying" out their alarms as they should - "giving the people warnings of the fatal consequences of sin"?
On the contrary, we find many who are guilty of "sparing" - "sparing" their voice (refusing to speak God's Word)... "sparing" the people (lest they should offend them)...and "sparing" themselves (lest they should lose their popularity, prestige, or position). And, in most cases, they are disobeying God's command because of - "money" - the cost involved!
Now read what Matthew Henry had to add to this argument - "The word of God is an unalterable thing, and will not be made to bend to the humours either of its preachers or of its hearers; it shall never comply with their humours and fancies, but they must comply with its truths and laws."
Alexander MacLaren in his Expositions of Holy Scripture wrote - "Languid whispers will not wake sleepers. Unless the messenger is manifestly in earnest, the message will fall flat. Not with bated breath, as if ashamed of it; nor with hesitation, as if not quite sure of it; nor with coldness, as if it were of little urgency, - is God's Word to be pealed in men's ears. The preacher is a crier."
Look at the Church of today - generally speaking. Just how much influence is she having in the world? How many are taking her "message" seriously? What exactly is her "message"? Why isn't the world being changed by it?
John Gill in his Exposition of the Entire Bible offers an explanation - "...prophets and ministers must preach not as men bid them, but as God bids them."
The Pulpit Commentary reiterates by saying - "In all cases, true preaching is 'the preaching that I bid thee.' It is a simple message from God; it becomes effectual when it is given as such."
"...must preach not as men bid them, but as God bids them."
"...true preaching is 'the preaching that I bid thee'...
As we look into the Scriptures, we find that this is exactly the message that God had for the Prophet Jonah (who happened to have a specific message from God for the "great city" of "Ninevah") - "And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Ninevah, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee." (Jonah 3:1-2)
What was the instruction that God gave to His prophet?
"...Arise, go unto Ninevah, that great city, and preach..." That word "preach" means to "cry" - to sound out loudly, plainly, urgently, and with earnestness. It suggests doing it in a manner befitting those who bear a message from God. (Isn't this exactly what the Lord instructed the Prophet Isaiah to do?)
"Preach" - Notice that it was not to be a message of his own imagination.
God specifically ordered - "...preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee."
This signifies that Jonah was to be a crier, a herald, or a preacher of one message - and one message alone - that is, "that I bid thee" - whatever God directed. Hence, it had to be spoken as it was delivered - with nothing added to it or taken from it.
He was instructed by God to go and "cry" against "Ninevah" - informing them that their wickedness had come up before God, and as a result, His vengeance was coming down upon them.
How many today would dare to deliver such a "message" to their city? Yet, do we not see "wickedness" present today as they found in "Ninevah" of old?
Has God changed? Did He have one type of message for wicked "Ninevah," but has a soft, coddling, cuddling message for your wicked city and mine? Just how many preachers are actually "preaching the preaching that God bids" or are they "preaching" what man, self, the world, the culture, philosophy, psychiatry, etc. bids?
My husband Carl has a booklet which he refers to constantly, entitled - "Why Preach Against Sin?" - by John R. Rice.
Allow me to share some quotes from this booklet -
"A preacher who does not denounce sin, does not preach against it, does not cry out for righteousness and demand repentance, does not obey His orders as clearly written in the Bible."
"Bible preachers preached against sin. The prophets of the Old Testament, the apostles and preachers of the New Testament, even Jesus Christ Himself, preached boldly and definitely against sin. They preached not only against sin in general, but against sin in particular...Preachers today should follow the example of Bible preachers and preach against sin."
How does this line up with the minister - while leaving his pulpit of a prominent Church - announced that he was entering the field as a fulltime evangelist because he saw a need for positive evangelism - one with no "DON'T" in it and no preaching against sin?
Unfortunately, this is what we have today - preachers refusing to "preach the preaching that God bids." Consequently, our cities have become like unto "Ninevah" - facing God's judgment and total ruin.
God didn't change. As the Church, it behooves us to understand that fact.
May God Bless His Word,
Connie
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. (Isaiah 54:17)
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