I have heard it said that we ought not to speak against a spiritual leader, because David twice had the opportunity to slay Saul, but refused to do so, because Saul was the Lord’s anointed.
I suggest that this is not an accurate characterization of the situation in which we find ourselves in Ohio. I think a better analogy for Ohio would be Elijah and Ahab. Let me explain.
First of all, the issue for David was whether or not to slay King Saul. No one is suggesting that any harm be done to any of our spiritual leaders here in Ohio. On the contrary, many heartfelt prayers are being offered up for them, that they might be open to the Lord’s Spirit, and be true to His counsels. In addition, David certainly did not approve of the antics and behavior of the king, as evidenced by his imprecatory psalms that cry out for God’s vengeance and activity to be displayed against his enemies, which would include Saul (e.g. 52, 54, 56, 58, etc.).
To say that our local situation is akin to that of David and Saul is an oversimplification, and it does injustice to the fact that we are instructed to engage in exhortation and even rebuke, as Christians (see 1 Tim. 5:20; 2 Tim. 3:16; 4:2; Tit. 1:9, 13; 2:15; Jude 1:3, 23).
The children of Israel could not be successful against the small city of Ai because they were over-confident, and because there was sin in the camp, in the person and actions of Achan (see Joshua 7). God’s people had to deal with the sin—the departure from God’s will—that was in their midst, in order to receive the full blessing and good pleasure of God. We must ask ourselves some tough questions: Is there a departure from God’s will in our midst? Is the Word of the Lord being distorted? Are the inspired counsels of God being ignored? Is compromise being modeled by our leaders? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, then we, as a people, have the duty to warn, duty to admonish, duty to rebuke, and if our leaders are unresponsive, the duty to remove the sin from the camp.
I think Elijah and Ahab provide for us a much more accurate analogy for our modern situation. As you know, Ahab and Jezebel had plunged Israel headlong into Baal worship and idolatry in general. This was a time of severe departure from the Lord’s will. Notice that Elijah did not seek to cooperate with King Ahab, nor did he try to work with King Ahab, in the hope that he might eventually see the light. Elijah simply appeared before the king, and notified him that, due to his departure from God’s will, there would be a drought in the land. He rebuked the anointed of the Lord, because the king’s example and departure was effecting the entire body of believers (Israel).
Laymen and preachers alike need to have the courage to stand up like Elijah and call sin by its right name. Listen to what the servant of the Lord has to say about this, in Prophets and Kings, pp. 140-142:
“He has no apology to offer. Indignant, and jealous for the honor of God, he casts back the imputation of Ahab, fearlessly declaring to the king that it is his sins, and the sins of his fathers, that have brought upon Israel this terrible calamity.”
“Today there is need of the voice of stern rebuke; for grievous sins have separated the people from God.”
“The smooth sermons so often preached make no lasting impression; the trumpet does not give a certain sound. Men are not cut to the heart by the plain, sharp truths of God's word.”
“So men who should be standing as faithful guardians of God's law have argued, till policy has taken the place of faithfulness, and sin is allowed to go unreproved. When will the voice of faithful rebuke be heard once more in the church?”
"’Thou art the man.’ 2 Samuel 12:7. Words as unmistakably plain as these spoken by Nathan to David are seldom heard in the pulpits of today, seldom seen in the public press. If they were not so rare, we should see more of the power of God revealed among men. The Lord's messengers should not complain that their efforts are without fruit until they repent of their own love of approbation and their desire to please men, which leads them to suppress truth.”
“Those ministers who are men pleasers, who cry, Peace, peace, when God has not spoken peace, might well humble their hearts before God, asking pardon for their insincerity and their lack of moral courage. It is not from love for their neighbor that they smooth down the message entrusted to them, but because they are self-indulgent and ease-loving. True love seeks first the honor of God and the salvation of souls. Those who have this love will not evade the truth to save themselves from the unpleasant results of plain speaking. When souls are in peril, God's ministers will not consider self, but will speak the word given them to speak, refusing to excuse or palliate evil.”
“Would that every minister might realize the sacredness of his office and the holiness of his work, and show the courage that Elijah showed! As divinely appointed messengers, ministers are in a position of awful responsibility. They are to ‘reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering.’ 2 Timothy 4:2. In Christ's stead they are to labor as stewards of the mysteries of heaven, encouraging the obedient and warning the disobedient. With them worldly policy is to have no weight. Never are they to swerve from the path in which Jesus has bidden them walk. They are to go forward in faith, remembering that they are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses.”
The Lord’s servant also warned us that the Omega rebellion would occur in our day, and that she trembled for her people (see, for instance, Selected Messages, Book 1, pp. 203, 204). Kellogg’s book Living Temple contained elements of spiritualism, and a blending of truth and error. In the teachings of several of the speakers who have been invited in recent years to the Conference on Innovation, we see this same blending of the things of God with the things of man. We find confusion, mysticism, spiritualism, interspirituality, etc., in their teachings.
It follows that we should be speaking out against these things, and not allowing our leaders and pastors to continue to introduce these errant teachings into our churches. This is just one example of departure. Again, our situation in Ohio is much more congruent with an Elijah-Ahab model than a David-Saul model.
We are living on the very borders of eternity. We are members of the remnant church of God on this earth, and we have been commissioned by the Lord to present His final altar call to the people of this world. It is a very special work that we have been given. It is the presentation of the Everlasting Gospel, including the three angels’ messages.
It should not surprise us that Satan will try to weaken and silence the distinctive voice of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. We need to see it for what it is, and help our leaders understand their error before it is too late, and probation is forever closed.
And our pastors need to stop cooperating with a system that is out of God’s will. We do not cooperate with compromise; we rebuke it. We do not placate evil; we expose it, and work against it. This is so very basic, and yet somehow we are not understanding it. This is why we are in this current theological quagmire here in Ohio.
It’s time to take another look at our model . . .
