We read of the Saviour while He was in this world that when He found in the temple those that sold oxen and doves, and the changers of money sitting, He made a scourge of small cords, and drove them all out of the temple, saying, “Take these things hence; make not thy Father’s house an house of merchandise.” We also read in connection with this incident that “his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.” Christ’s cleansing of the temple was a notable event. It was zeal for the Father’s glory that moved Him at this time. This was true zeal — zeal for the honour and glory of God. Zeal for the glory of God was ever a leading characteristic of the Saviour in this world and never did zeal manifest itself in the world in the degree in which it shone forth in Him. He could not remain silent while the Divine honour and glory were impugned. In Him righteous indignation and zeal were perfectly complemented when the Father’s glory was called in question. How God-glorifying this was. With respect to this aspect of His personal character, that is, His zeal for God’s glory, He could say at the end of His life, “I have glorified Thee on the earth”.
Zeal for God’s glory is a rare trait of character, yet there have been those in every age who excelled in this grace. It was zeal for God’s glory that made Moses cry, Who is on the Lord’s side? When the children of Israel made the golden calf, it was zeal for God’s glory that made Gideon brake down the altar of Baal. It was zeal for God’s glory that brought Elijah to Mount Carmel to confront the prophets of Baal. It was zeal for God’s glory that made the three young men in Babylon say to King Nebuchadnezzar when threatened with the burning fiery furnace if they would not bow down to the image of gold, “Be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou has set up.” It was zeal for the glory of God that made the Apostle expostulate with the Galations: “O foolish Galations, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth.”
All zeal is not true zeal. How true this was in the case of Jehu when he said to Jonadab, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord.” His supposed zeal for God’s glory was but a cover for seeking his own glory. Little did he care for the honour of the Most High. Of high professions of zeal for God’s glory, then, we are to be very wary. Those most zealous for the Divine glory are least likely to make a display of it, or to think that they are doing anything other than what it is their duty to do. They will be painfully conscious, too, of how far short they come in seeking God’s glory and honour. There can be high profession of zeal and yet that zeal be a zeal not according to knowledge, as the apostle says of the zeal of the Jews. “I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.” What zeal the Apostle himself displayed as Saul of Tarsus in persecuting the Church of God, thinking all the while that he was doing God service. So, too, what zeal and devotion do devotees of the Church of Rome show in the service of that system, yet it is false zeal.
But we must return to ourselves. Where is our zeal? Where is your zeal? Where is my zeal? Have we not to say, even where grace is, that zeal for God’s glory is too often a very negligible quantity. Other graces may seem more promising, but zeal — no, that is too high a matter, the soul is ready to say. Yet does not lack of zeal call in question the reality of the other graces? If there was real growth in the other graces, would there not be growth in this grace also? Let us remember that it is a peculiarly God-honouring grace. Let us not be satisfied without it. It goes along with a self-denying spirit. It puts God’s honour and glory first and makes everything else subservient to it.
What need we have then of being strengthened inwardly with God’s might that we might show forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvellous light. Let us, therefore, cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light in order that we may be truly zealous for God’s glory in a day when that glory is so grievously impugned by men.
Saints must be best in worst times.
John Trapp.