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The Many and the Few

(Matthew 7:13/14)

            The passage I have referred to above is a well-known one and tells of our Lord’s words as to those who go in at the wide gate and those who go in at the narrow one. It is the many that go in at the wide gate and the few that go in at the narrow one. This is demonstrated in many places throughout Scripture as I propose showing. One would say here that we should take the passage home to ourselves and not just dismiss it as a text that has no application to Christians.

            It may be noted here that today it is regarded as right that countries should be governed by the majority (the many), so that we have what is called democracy. This is not in accord with Scripture which teaches that government should come down from God. The people’s choice (king Saul - 1 Samuel 8:18) was not a success. Maybe democracy is the best that man can conceive in the present state of things, though that is not what a Christian would regard as what is best. It probably leads to us getting what we deserve.

            If we turn to Scripture we find that there were only eight souls saved from the flood of waters that engulfed the earth (1 Peter 3:20). In fact it is clear from Genesis 7:1 that it was Noah that God found righteous and it was because of him that not only he, but his family also, were saved.

            If we go forward to the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah we find that it was only Lot and his two daughters that were saved (Genesis 19). Again, we find that it was actually the fact that Lot was a righteous man that led to him and his daughters being saved (2 Peter 2:7).

            Then if we consider the children of Israel who left Egypt and were numbered by Moses, we find that of these only two actually went into Canaan, that is, Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 26:63-65).

            If we then fast forward to the time of the kings what do we find: Elijah had the mind of God and not the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty and of the Asherah four hundred (1 Kings 18, particularly verses 19, 22 and 25).

            Later we find that Micah had the mind of God in the days of Ahab and Jehoshaphat whereas the prophets (about four hundred) did not (1 Kings 22, particularly verses 6 and 8).

            Turning to the New Testament we find that it was the many that said of Christ: “He has a demon and raves” (John 10:20).

            What all this tells us that we should not follow majorities; they may well be wrong. We should follow the shepherd not the sheep (John 10:1-5). Again Scripture says: “Thou shalt not follow the multitude for evil” (Exodus 23:2). In Ezekiel 33:24 God gave no comfort to those who relied on the fact that they were many and not one as Abraham. Larger numbers does not weigh with God. He deals with a man or a nation alike (Job 34:29).

            When I was a young man I was once asked how I should keep myself in the right path. I replied by quoting a hymn. I am uncertain of the hymn I quoted but it may have been the one that begins: “O Lamb of God, still keep us close to thy pierced side” Verse two reads: “Tis only in Thee hiding we feel ourselves secure; only in thee abiding, the conflict can endure” This gives effectively what I said. This was not the answer the questioner wanted. His thought was that we should keep with the majority of our spiritual leaders. This is not reliable advice. Twelve princes went to spy out the land, but only two were right - Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 13).

            What one has said above should not be taken to mean that because I am on my own that I am automatically right. Achan as we know was not (Joshua 7). What we need to do is to see that we do not become like those that follow in their simplicity (2 Samuel 15:11).

            There is also a reason why God does not support persons who act in great numbers. That is because He is to have the glory that comes from victories and not man (Judges 7:2). We have it said: “One man of you chaseth a thousand; for Jehovah your God, he it is that fighteth for you.” (Joshua 23:10). See also Leviticus 26:7/8.

            We find in Judges that God used Gideon to “smite Midian as one man” (Judges 6:16; 7:13/14). The numbers that followed Gideon had to be considerably reduced before he went against Midian.

            Then there was Samson. No armies ever followed Samson. He did what he did single handed.

            If we come to the New Testament we find that two men turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6 A.V.) And in Revelation 11 verses 2 to 13 God was with the two witnesses.

            If God is with us we shall be like Joshua - none shall be able to stand before us (Joshua 1:5). However, if there be evil found with us (or amongst us) we shall suffer reverses (Joshua 7). It shows the importance of practical righteousness here on earth.

November 2008