We are grateful that the Lord has gifted the Church with a few special servants who have mighty intellects which they have laid on the altar for Him. The assemblies of God’s people should be marked by an intelligent approach to the Word of God specifically, and to life in general. But this well-known servant of the Lord makes the point that mere intelligence is no guarantee that we will hear the voice of God. He still makes His home in humble hearts.
The stories of Zacharias and Elisabeth and their firstborn, John; the experiences of Mary, the mother of our Lord, from the annunciation to the birth of Christ; the stories of Simeon and Anna—all these indicate something of the way of the Lord and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Not many wise or noble understand the things of God. Often essential truth of God’s ways is known to simple, humble people. Not always, or even often, is the professor a person of spiritual discernment even though he has a string of academic degrees and is accounted wise in the eyes of the world.
Christ Himself spoke of this fact in Matthew 11:25, “I thank Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and [understanding] and hast revealed them unto babes.” Elsewhere God has said, “The meek will He teach His way,” and, to put it negatively, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside” (1 Cor. 1:19, nasb).
Spiritual truth can be understood only spiritually, not intellectually. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God…neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned” (2:14). Is this a counsel of ignorance? No! Is this principle contrary to education, head study, and thorough investigation? No! It is a reiteration of the principles of Matthew 5:1-11.
Sometimes I become weary with some evangelicals and their sophistication, their self-conscious cleverness, coupled with their fawning adulation of unbelieving scholarship. How desperately they strive for academic recognition. How they long for acceptance by the intellectual world. How eager they seem to be to concede and compromise.
Notice Zacharias’ humility and the way he glorified God when his lips were opened. Notice Mary’s attitude, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to Thy word” (Lk. 1:38). Read again the Nunc Dimittis (Lk. 2:29-32) and think of Simeon’s attitude. Then read again of Anna. There are times when we should stop asking questions, still less open our mouths and express our opinions. There are times to be quiet, to bow our hearts and heads and worship.
This glorious news of the birth of Messiah—the Saviour, Jesus Christ—and His forerunner, John the Baptist, was not discovered by the professors. It was not announced by the clergy. There was not a world congress to pass a resolution about it. It was not the thesis of some budding academic doctor. The voice of God was a still, small voice—but it was the voice of revelation and of prophecy.
We must always remember that essentially the knowledge of God comes by revelation, not by investigation. It is truth uncovered by God to us, not discovered by mere intellectual pursuit.
In His sovereignty, God chose those to whom He would speak. He chose those whom He would use. He chose those to whom He would reveal His truth. These were not concerned with extrabiblical phenomena, nor with the integrity of the inductive method. They were ordinary people who loved God. They were the humble people, the poor in spirit, who thought nothing of themselves. They were those who hungered and thirsted after righteousness.
Written by C. Stacey Woods