Evening star., 1940-06-22

Cordell Hull re- '''''' -
Gently wrote w. T. Ellis.
Humanity desperately needs today
q moral and spiritual rebirth, a
revitalization of religion" The larg-
est association of businessmen in
North America has set up special
department to arouse the interest
of businessmen in religion. Leaders
in the labor movement are speaking
to the same effect. Newspaper edi-
tors and columnists have joined the
chorus. All sorts and conditions
OF men reveal stirring of this
consciousness, which re-echoes the
strong words of the Hebrew prophets
that the Sunday schools have been
studying.
Much of this sudden interest in
religion is due to sheer funk.
Thoughtful persons are inclined to
be panicky over the present world
outlook. They are scared by recent
tragic developments in the European
war, and by the trend OF things
generally. Frightened rich men are
buying secluded retreats. in the hope
of escaping possible riots or bonn
bardments. The number of fear
filled persons who foresee general
catastrophe is increasing. The dis
cerning perceive that the world is
undergoing a purge for its great
shining. They recognize that there
must be reckoning with the
living God Events everywhere are
a clarion call to repentance and
return to Him.
There Is a close analogy between
the case of Israel and Judah and
our present times For their private
shining they were nationally pun
ished. And their prophets, as ours.
were forever calling the people back
to loyalty to the Lord who had made
and preserved them as a nation. 1t
took the terrible experience of the
exile to lead the Jews to repent
ance, and to a final abandonment of
idolatry. What our purgation will
be is already foreshadowed in cur
rent events.
This weeks prophet, assigned for
study, is Malachi. Scholars dispute
as to whether Malachi is a mans
name, or the general title of an
anonymous messenger. Malachi
means messenger" In either case,
1t is the message that matters, and
not the speaker.
This book abounds in illustrations
Of the peoples lost or lax faith.
They had become heather in their
low standards of life. Greed, op-
preston, self-aborption, neglected
religious duties, divorce-Malachi is
uncompromisingly severe upon the
then prevalent divorce, quoting
Jehovah as saying. Il hate divorce" ="
Writing in dialogue form, the
prophet answers the query. Where
in shall we return?" by citing first
a plain and obvious duty. The
people had failed to offer to the
Temple the tithes which the Mosaic
law enioined. Let them repair this
neglect.
1t is curious that Malachi should
have put first the money test. But
he was true to human nature. A
persons use of money proves his
character. To fail to give, and to
give cheerfully and adequately, is
to fail to live the religious life.
Greed is the antithesis of piety.
Niggardly Christians invariably have
starved souls. Giving is one sure
test of living. A modern quip says
that personal conservation is purse
and-all" conservation. 1t is not lack
of funds, but lack of faith, that is
starving the church.
Recently I talked with a church
officer, who, with companion, had
been out on an every-member can
vass for his church. Most of the
persons visited pledged 10 cents a
week to the church-though every
one Of them spends several times
that amount weekly for motion pic
lures; practically, they rate their
devotion to movie stars high above
their devotion to God.
Like old Malachi, that church
officer revealed a first face about
the loyalty of his people. Their
supreme allegiance was not to their
Lord. AS the prophets probing
words proved. the tithe test was
really a heart test. He promised
that if the people brought the whole
1.-THE into the storehouse, God would
open the windows of heaven and
pour them out blessing such as
there would not be room enough to
receive. 1t was not their money
that the Lord desired, but them
selves. Their tithes were but test
Of their devotion.
Nowadays. the Mosaic law of the
tithe may not be mandatory upon
Christians. But the greater prin-
ciple of stewardship is. For some
of us moderns with money, tithe
Is too small proportion of our
means to give to God. who claims
us and our possessions altogether
Naturally, if those old Jews were
expected to devote tenth of their
income to the Temple, Christian
should do not less, but more. Some
men there are who rejoice to give
away more than half Of all they
earn. Such have cast of the shac-
kles Of greed from their souls.
The whole subject. and the en-
tire Book Of Malachi. root back to
the issue of the spirits supreme
allegiance. Most of us live by lesser
1oyalties than our duty to God
though there are millions who put
Him first IN everything. And until
God gets and keeps. first place ir
human thinking and human livine
there will be no solution Of present
social and international problems.
Life's loyalties scale thus: Coo
Arst, with all of truth and con.
science that He comprehends; ther
country: then home; then the worle