Goodbye To Glory - Ichabod # 7

Goodbye To Glory - Ichabod # 7

Think of Judas - the incarnation of infamy today! Shakespeare called him "the base Judean who sold a pearl richer than all his tribe." Judas, given a great opportunity by Christ Himself, had part of "the ministry and apostleship on which angels longed to serve." Did not this position place its participant on a level with Moses and Elijah?

But the glory of this individual began to grow dim when he began to wonder about the course that Jesus chose in refusing the kingship and in antagonizing the rulers. The glory grew even dimmer when he began to worry about the future - and dimmer still when he began to pilfer the bag. And his glory departed completely when he when he went out into the night to bargain to betray Jesus for the price of a hog! Truly over it all you can write: "Thy glory hath departed."

And think of Lot - called just and righteous. "And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day, with their unlawful deeds.) "He was driven to Egypt when famine came, yet his soul in many ways became a famished soul. A business man, an opportunist, maker of a bad choice that he thought was a good choice. He certainly added no brightness to manhood's torch by marrying a woman of Sodom - the wickedest city mentioned in man's literature, hopelessly corrupt. Lot escaped with only his family when God burned Sodom to the ground. Lot's last act was one of incest. From his daughters came the nations of Ammon and Moab.

And think of Saul - first king of Israel. His glory, which was as a burning bush of splendor, faded into lusterless cold ashes. Let us see what the Scriptures tell us: "And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul's sons. And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers. Then said Saul unto his armour bearer, "Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse me. But his Armour bearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it" (1 Samuel 31:2-4).

Again and again, with tragic repetition, do the pages of history testify that individuals who once gave light as steady stars came to the time and place where their light was the flame of a fluttering candle. In our churches we see people who once served faithfully who proved their kinship with Demas - to the hurt of some and to the sorrow of many. In some homes we have those who once held as sacred the marital vow who have gone as wild as the winds which know no barriers in making these vows perjury. "Tis true that many know not, or, if knowing, give no heed to the truth that to leave Jesus out of his life is to say goodbye to glory. Against all things and against all evils that bring people to the place and time where they say goodbye to glory,

I would that all men would take an unwavering stand remembering God's promise:

"And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee" (Jeremiah 1:19).

~Robert G. Lee~

(The End)