324. A Three-Pronged Flesh Hook

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Pet. 1:20-21.

If the Scriptures are not for any private interpretation, then they must be for interpretation by the revelations of the Spirit. How awful it is then to hear God’s Word interpreted by carnal people. The flesh wars against the Spirit, so how then can a fleshly person interpret the Word of God?

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint. This can be seen in 1 Samuel 3. The Word of the Lord was rare in the days of the prophet Eli, and there was no widespread revelation. Eli was a spineless prophet who could no longer hear the voice of the Lord. God had to choose the young Samuel to be a prophet, and He spoke to him regarding the house of Israel and the house of Eli.

In our present day and age the world is full of priests and preachers. Yet how many of them receive revelations so they can interpret the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit? No, it is as it was in the days of Eli: the Word of the Lord is rare and there is no widespread revelation. Should there happen to be a young “Samuel” whom the Lord speaks through, he is regarded as a dangerous man, especially by those who have Eli’s dim eyes and who are surrounded by his ungodly sons and priests. For through the young Samuel the Lord said, “The iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”

The sons of Eli sinned against the Lord and against the people. The Spirit of godly fear was not in them.

A minister in the church can also become greedy and sin against the offerings to the Lord because he is constantly thinking about those offerings and preaching about them directly and indirectly. He uses the flesh hook and stirs in the pan, kettle, caldron, or pot with lots of Scripture verses, and everything it brings up he takes for himself. This is depraved and corrupt. Such people seek their own and care nothing about the Lord or about the people. Thus they become unfit for the ministry. A young “Samuel” stands ready to replace them.

“Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, ‘Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.’ And if the man said to him, ‘They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires,’ he would then answer him, ‘No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.’

“Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.

“But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod.”

“No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” Such a soldier must be content with his pay, for God has said, “Seek first the kingdom of God . . . and all these things will be added to you.” Yet people do not consider the things that are added to them as enough, so they start begging, both directly and indirectly. They stir in the pan, kettle, or pot with the large three-pronged flesh hook. In this way they despise the Lord and His Word just as they despise the people (the church) by pressuring them and using their authority in order to bring forth the sacrifice.

If you should meet such “sons of Eli” or such “soldiers” on your way who are not satisfied with their pay, send them away empty-handed. Look around, because God has appointed a young Samuel even before the old Eli has fallen over backward and broken his neck because of his sins.

You for your part should bring the Lord’s sacrifice as a reasonable service that is required of you because it is good to have a part in the Lord’s work. But you must not go to the sons of Eli with your sacrifice. At least that much understanding of the Scriptures should be given by the light and revelation of the Spirit.

In Aaron’s days the people cast off restraint when Moses had been gone for 40 days. They made themselves a golden calf and sacrificed to it. It is people who have cast off restraint who sacrifice to the golden calf. Be very careful that you do not offer your gift to the golden calf of greed or covetousness.

The church of God does not only consist of ministers of the Word. There are all kinds of ministries in the church, and not one of them is superfluous. By walking according to God’s light and knowledge, everyone will find their place and their ministry. A glass of water given to a prophet because he is a prophet will by no means go unrewarded.

People stir around in the pan or caldron or pot with their large, three-pronged flesh hook, looking for all kinds of sacrifices, even someone’s inheritance. Such people are far from being content with their pay.

If a preacher receives no recompense, it is because God has not sent him. He feels around in the pan or caldron or pot with his large, three-pronged flesh hook, but unfortunately not much is brought up. Then the begging starts, and this brings dishonor to God and His cause.

This is not how it should be. A Levite in Israel was not to be given an inheritance since God was his inheritance. But in the old covenant, the priests were to be given tithes, and the new covenant has not forgotten those who preach the Word in Spirit and truth. If they sow spiritual things, is it a great thing if they reap material things? We must not muzzle the threshing ox. By following the promptings of the Spirit and the Word of God, each one will find those sacrifices he must bring. If this is done, begging will disappear more and more. Until then, one must endure hardship for the gospel.