Jesus Christ contained within His Personality the compassion of Moses and the remoteness of Elijah. Since we are being made in the image of Christ we also must contain both aspects.

The true witness of God has a side that touches people and a side that touches God.

A saint can become imbalanced, but then some people have special callings. Perhaps in certain instances those who have spent their lives hidden away in a monastic setting need to develop a side toward people.

The big problem in the American churches is the lack of the side toward God. It seems to me we have gone way overboard in trying to make the assembling a social gathering in which the whole neighborhood feels welcome.

This will not do. A social gathering of neighborhood people is not the lampstand, the witness of God, unless there is an aspect of the assembling that is remote, that is hidden away with God, that is not understandable to the unsaved or even to the carnal churchgoer.

The pastor is not one of the boys! On suitable occasions he or she should be coming down from the mountain of prayer bearing the awful covenant of God. (This is a combination of Moses and Elijah.)

I can understand Moses discussing with Jesus the atonement Jesus was to make in Jerusalem. But Elijah? Why in the world would God pick Elijah to accompany Moses? Why not Isaiah? Isaiah wrote about the atonement. Elijah didn't write anything. He was just there! And as long as Elijah was there people knew there was a God in Israel.

God has promised to send Elijah before the great and terrible Day of the Lord. We know that the spirit and power of Elijah rested on John the Baptist. But why Elijah!? God has many outstanding patriarchs and prophets to choose from. Why this strange individual? Would you like to have Elijah on your church council or as the pastor of your church? He didn't even dress like everyone else.

Jesus would do just fine as the pastor, but not Elijah. Why not? God seems to regard him highly! It is because we know he is more interested in God than in us.

And yet, James says Elijah had feelings like us. He was afraid of Jezebel. Imagine, with all the power surrounding him he was scared of one frail woman. Elijah was human! But the call of God was so strong on him his humanity was pushed into the background—like John the Baptist.

We know about the birth of Moses. We do not know about the birth of Elijah.

We know about the mother and father of Moses. We do not know about the mother and father of Elijah.

We know about the early life of Moses. We know nothing of the early life of Elijah.

Moses was married and had children. Elijah had no wife or children as far as we know.

Moses led several million people through the desert. Elijah led no one anywhere.

Moses produced writings among the most marvelous of history. Elijah produced no such writings.

Moses prayed that God would strike his name from the Book of Life if the people were not to be saved. It is difficult to imagine Elijah moved to utter such a prayer. Moses was involved with people. Elijah was wrapped up in God.

To be continued.