1 Corinthians chapter 12 today. 1 Corinthians chapter 12. It is a passage that will launch us out into a series of messages will not be herein. The very chapter itself will be going primarily to the Old Testament today, but we're reading here from 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and we're commencing the reading from the verse 13 of the chapter, 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and the verse number 13. For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if the ears shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members, every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now they are many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary, and those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor, and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. There are comely parts of no need, but God has tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked. That there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it. Or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers. After that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversity of tongues, are all apostles, are all prophets. Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts, and yet show I unto you a more excellent way." Let me point you in the direction of verse 28. And God has set some in the church. The word literally means ordained, placed. appointed. God has appointed some in the church. And then we have the word governments. To steer is the Greek word. It means the directorship in the church is what the form is here in the original language. And so God has set some in the church and he has various roles by which we all play. Remember Verse 18, God set the members, every one of them in the body as it hath pleased him. And so there is a role for us all to play, and we're going to think about one of the roles that we can play, or those men can play within the church of Jesus Christ. But before we do, let's unite in prayer and seek the Lord together. Our loving Father, we come before the word of God, the sole rule, the sole rule of our faith and practice. We pray that as we consider these matters before us as a congregation, that thou wilt lead and guide in all of our considerations, in all of this study together. We pray that thou wilt guide us into truth and bless our souls as we consider such things together. And so answer prayer, fill me with thy spirit, I cry to thee. May I know help from God in the preaching of the word and bring glory to thee alone, who is the sole head and king of the church, for we offer these our petitions in and through Jesus' precious name. Amen and amen. Thursday, the 11th of October, 2018 is an important date for the history of Portland-Owen Free Presbyterian Church because it is on that date The Communicant membership will meet and have the opportunity and the responsibility to elect up to three new ruling elders. In preparation for that Communicant membership meeting, it is my responsibility as the teaching elder of this church to set before you the role, the spiritual requirements and the responsibilities of an elder in order that you as a body of believers might choose men who will see to the spiritual well-being of this congregation in the days, the years, and even the decades ahead. This election is not to be taken lightly. This election is not a popularity contest. This election is not to be taken frivolously by anyone who holds communicant membership. It is incumbent upon every eligible man to see God's face to know whether they should place themselves before the communicant membership as a candidate for eldership and then to submit to the sovereignty of God, to whether or not the office of eldership is an office which God would have you to serve in and His church at this time. Over the next number of weeks, I'll be preaching on the office of eldership, and as I trust, as I do so, that God will lead and guide in our study together. Now before considering the spiritual requirements and responsibilities of an elder, I want us to take a step back and consider the role of the elder within the church of Jesus Christ. Remember, we read in Acts 7 in verse 38, we read about the church in the wilderness. Speaking about the children of Israel leaving the land of Egypt and going out into the land of promise and in their wilderness wanderings, we find that there was a church There was a structure, there was what we would term an entity known as the church present in the times of Moses and Aaron and the children of Israel. And so we want to consider today the role of an elder within respect to the Old Testament. That's what we want to commence with today, the elder in the Old Testament. Now, I must admit that this will be a little more devotional than it will be practical, but I trust that it will form the basis upon what we will think upon over the coming weeks. I want to begin by stating something that is very obvious, something that is very apparent as we look at creation around us and as we look at God's design of us, namely that the living God The God who is the sole head and king of his church, that God is a God of order. God is a God of order. That truth is affirmed in Scripture. We read Paul's in Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church, a church that by the way had many things that needed to be straightened out. But we read in 1 Corinthians 14 and the verse 33 these words, for God is not the author of confusion. but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." Now the word confusion there can be literally translated disorder. And so we could read the verse rightly so, for God is not the author of disorder he goes on then to exhort the church in the verse number 40 the corinthian church 1 corinthians 14 verse 40 let all things be done decently and in order and so god would have all things to be orderly and especially when it comes to the governing of his church there is an order there is an order with respect to governance of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so God would have all things to be done orderly within his church. As we embark upon our study on the office of an elder, I want you to think first of all about the title elder itself. Now the word elder, as it is used in reference to a position held within the company of God's people, is first appears in Exodus chapter number 3. So turn to Exodus chapter 3. As I said, we're going into the Old Testament today. We're turning to Exodus chapter number 3 and you'll find the word down in the verse 16. Now you'll know that in Exodus chapter 3, God is speaking to Moses here. He's returning to the land of Egypt, the place where he was born. He spent 40 years in the wilderness in preparation for the next 40 years of his life. And God gives Moses this instruction in the verse number 16. Go and gather the elders of Israel together. And say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and have seen that which is done to you in Egypt. And so we have this idea that these men, these elders of Israel, called together, called out of the tribes, called out of the families of Israel, and Moses is going to speak to them. And they in turn are going to communicate that message to the tribal families and to those under their care and under their watch, as it were. Now I admit that this is not the first mention of this word elder in the scriptures. You'll find this word elder used with respect to age. We find that first of all mentioned there in Genesis chapter 10 in the verse 21. And it's in relation to Shem being the eldest of Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham, Japheth. We read there, Genesis 10 verse 21, unto Shem also, the father of the children of Ebar, the brother of Japheth, the elder, even to him were children born. And so we have the thought of age here brought into this word, this title, elder. But we also find this title, this office of elder, it wasn't only confined to the children of Israel. you'll find that an ungodly nation, the nation of Egypt, had their elders in order that there might be good governance within the nation of Egypt. If you turn there to Genesis chapter 50, you'll find the mention of these elders. Genesis chapter 50 and the verse number seven, we read, and Joseph went up to bury his father. And with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land. of Egypt. We find that Joseph has elders within his house, individuals that are able to maintain and to manage his affairs in his own house. But we also find that the Egyptians, and remember the Egyptians were a highly civilized nation of their day. They built the pyramids with respect to their writing skills and many different inventions. We find that this was a nation that was highly civilized and they see fit within the government structure of that nation to have officers or elders in order to govern the affairs. In order that there would be proper and orderly governance within the nation, this ungodly nation has this office of eldership within it. Now Genesis chapter three, as I've told you, is the first mention with respect to God's people and these elders. And we realize that this Hebrew word, elders, that we have in Genesis 3.16, it translates to mean aged or ancient man, elder, eldest, old man, or senator. I'm told that the Hebrew comes from a root word that means beard. It means beard. From that, we note that, obviously, the elder was to be of the male gender. It is the male that can grow the beard. We understand that to be so, but we also understand that he had to be a male of such an age, such a maturity that he was old enough to actually grow a beard. He was able to, as it were, grow a beard. He was of such an age. Within the Word we have a hint, and we'll find it with respect to the qualities, the characteristics, the requirements of eldership presented to us in the New Testament. We have this idea that there needs to be a maturity with respect to the one who holds the office of eldership. There has to be a spiritual maturity. There has to be an individual who is grounded in the faith, and who is able to defend the faith. Now we're in the Old Testament, but let me bring to you what the name Elder in the New Testament refers to, or its etymology within the New Testament. The word Elder, when we find it referred to in the New Testament, is the word presbyteros. It doesn't take much of a genius to understand that it is from that Greek word that we get the word presbyter, to be a presbyter. And like this word zakhan in the Old Testament for elder, meaning aged or bearded, presbyteros has reference again to one who is mature. One who is mature in the Christian faith. In other words, not an office. Not just someone who has just been saved a few months. They're not to fill the office of eldership. Now, in the time of Christ, this word elder, presbyteros, it was known by those who lived during the time of Christ 28 times. We find this grouping of people mentioned. We find them mentioned in the Gospels. You remember the chief priests and the elders, the scribes and the elders, the officers of the temple and the elders, the ruler and the elders of the people. These seem to refer to a group of ex-officio spiritual leaders within the nation of Israel. And so this usage of term, presbyteros, it was referring to the spiritual leadership within the nation of God, within the nation of Israel. They made up the Sanhedrin, the Senate, the highest ruling body of Judaism in the time of Jesus Christ. And so, when Paul speaks of Presbyter's elders, these people understood that this was an office that existed within the nation of Israel. They understood what was required when it came to the one who was going to fulfill the office of elder, as they look back at what the one in the Old Testament fulfilled within his role as elder. And we're going to consider that in our third and final point. And so we have this thought of maturity. These elders, they're in the nation of Israel. We find them there placed in order that there might be order and that there might be good governance within the nation. And so we find them presented to us here firstly in Exodus and the chapter number three. But let's move quickly to another thought. Think about the origin of eldership. Where did these elders arise from? This is the first mention of these elders in the nation of Israel and the family of Jacob. Where did they come from? Well, it seems to be that sometime between the moving of Jacob's family down into Egypt and the return now of Moses, some 430 years later to lead the children of Israel out of the house of bondage, it seems to be that somewhere between that 430 year time period, there was the establishment of eldership within the nation of Israel. Now the scriptures are silent. as to when and why this office came into existence within the nation of Israel. We were not told why they became elders, where they came from, but we can only but infer that this office arose from a need. within the family of Jacob and within the nation of Israel. Just the same way as the office of deacon, committeeman arose from a need within the church of Jesus Christ in Acts of the Apostles chapter 6. The same way, it seems to be that there is a need. A need arises within the nation in order for good governance, in order that these people might be informed, instructed with respect to the teachings of Moses. In order for that to happen, there seems to be the establishment of elders within the nation of Israel. Now you remember, if you know your history with respect to this nation, you'll know that there were 70 souls that went down into Egypt. We read there in Genesis 46 in the verse number 26, that all the souls that came down into Egypt which came out of his loins beside Jacob's sons wise, all the souls were threescore and six. You'll find in Exodus chapter 1 in the verse 5, the number 70. We have 66, we have 70, how do we marry these two numbers together? Is there error with respect to those who went down into Egypt? No, that's not the case, because remember that Joseph, his wife, and his two sons were already in Egypt, but they still made up part of the family of Jacob. And so we have the 66 plus four. I know my maths isn't that good, but I can at least understand that that's 70, 70 souls. This is the nucleus that makes up the children of Israel when they go first down into Egypt. Now you fast forward 430 years. And you'll find in Exodus chapter 12 and the verse number 37 these words, Exodus 12 and the verse number 37. And all and the children of Israel journeyed from Ramesses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men. beside children. And so what we have in that number, 600,000, we have only the men. We do not have those infants that couldn't walk. We don't have the children. We don't have the wives. We don't have those that are elderly that needed to be carried or transported with respect to carriages or carts, moving them out into the wilderness. No, this is the number 600,000. Now some Bible commentators, John Gill being one, believe that a number close to 2.5 million people, 2.5 million people left Egypt for the promised land. Now that's some jump from 70 to 2.5 million people. You see, as the tribes grew, and as the number of clans and the families within those tribes increased, so did the number of heads within the families. And it has been suggested that those who were heads of the tribal families would have been chosen to become elders in Israel. And it was to them, men, that Moses was asked to go and speak to him. By God, in Exodus 30 verse 16, go. and gathered the elders of Israel together. These elders, it is believed, came out of the families of Israel. Think of that. The individual that filled the office of elder came out of the family of God's covenant people. It wasn't a stranger. It wasn't someone who was not a member of the family. It wasn't an Egyptian that fulfilled this role on their behalf. And there was a multitude of individuals that left Egypt with the children of Israel, not just the Israelites. Others, as it were, went on their coattails with them. It was a mixed multitude. But here we find these individuals And they're part of the family. And it is from the family that they're chosen. And they now fulfill this role of eldership. And we can infer from that that those that fulfill the office of eldership within the family of God are to be part of the family. They are not to be an unsaved individual. They are to know Christ. They are to be part of the family of God. They are to be part of the membership within the church of Jesus Christ. They are to have taken that responsibility of being a member of a local congregation. Not a stranger, but a member of the family. They're taken out of the family of God to meet and to care for the spiritual needs of God's family. We can but infer that. But having considered The etymology of this term elder and the origin, and it is about a suggestion where it arose from. I want us to think about the role of an elder in the Old Testament. the role of an elder within the Old Testament. As we have noted already, the primary Hebrew word, zakan, was used in the Old Testament to refer to the tribal leaders who assist Moses. In such places as Numbers 11.16, Deuteronomy 27.1, the elder is referred or refers to a special category of men who were set apart for leadership, much like a Senate within the nation of Israel. Moses would communicate to the people through these men. We see that happening in Exodus 19 verse 7 and Deuteronomy 31 and the verse number 9. It was the elders who were the ones that led the Passover. Exodus 12 and the verse number 21, Exodus 12 verse number 21, there we read, then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said unto them, draw out and take you a lamb according to your families and kill the Passover. And so these were men who were involved in the leading off the Passover feast. and perhaps other elements of worship they were involved in. Later on in Israel's history, these men were given the task of leadership within cities. We find that in 1 Samuel 11 verse 13, 1 Samuel 16 verse 4, 1 Samuel 30 in the verse 26. And yet their function, with all that they did, with their function, it was involved, their function was decision making. They had to apply wisdom to the lives that they were ruling over. They had to resolve conflict. They had to give direction. They had to see to the orderly society within the nation. This was a role that they played. And as I considered all of these roles, I believe that we could classify the role, the purpose of the Old Testament elder under three main headings. Three main headings. Firstly, the role of an elder was a representative role. A representative role. As we read through the Old Testament, we find the elders of Israel acting as the representative heads of the tribes of Israel. They were simply the delegated leaders of Israel's various families. These were men who had been invested with authority from their families to represent them within the governing structures of the nation of Israel. Because whenever Moses spoke to them on every given occasion, he was actually speaking to the nation as a whole. We find that in the Passover. Here we find the elders there told what to do, but there to communicate that to the rest of the families within the nation. They were the representatives of the family, representatives of the tribe, and they were delegated with that responsibility. When the elders appeared before God or Moses, they did so, as I've said, on behalf of others. And we see this representative role attached to the office of eldership, various passages in the Word of God. I want to draw your attention to three passages. Turn to Exodus, please, chapter 24, and the verse number one. Keeping in your mind this representative role, these people are representing me. It's a little bit like our parliament. We elect man or woman and they are then sent to the legislator, the legislative body, and they in turn are to represent us. Before the government, as they make up the government, they play a representative role. And this is what we have before us here in Exodus chapter 24. You see the covenant is being ratified on Mount Sinai here. And the Lord asks Moses and Aaron and his two sons to come up Mount Sinai as the covenant is ratified. But he also asks another grouping of people to come. Note what it says, and he said unto Moses, come up unto the Lord thou, and Aaron, and Abad, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship ye afar off. And Moses alone shall come near the Lord, but they shall not come nigh, neither shall the people go up with him." Here we find the 70 elders, they stand on Mount Sinai. And what are they doing? They are representing the people. They are the representative heads of all the nation of Israel. They're all within, all represented there on Mount Sinai. Every family, every tribe represented. There's a representative role. I believe that we see this maybe even more clearly in Leviticus chapter number four, this thought of being a representative head. Whenever the children of Israel were offering a sin offering, in order to appease the wrath of God, it was the 70 elders, not every single person within the nation of Israel that placed their hand upon the head of that animal that was to be sacrificed on their behalf. Note the verses 13 down to 15. And if the whole congregation of Israel sinned through ignorance, and the thing behed from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done what somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which should not be done and are guilty, when the sin which they have sinned against is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation and the elders of the congregation. shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the Lord, and the bullock shall be killed before the Lord." By the elders placing their hand upon the bullock's head, what they were doing, they were doing it representatively on behalf of those who were guilty. They were representing them. Not every individual within the nation came on that occasion, but rather delegated men, representative men, stood before the Lord on the congregation's behalf in order to put away sin by blood sacrifice. We have this thought also, again, the same book, Leviticus chapter 9 this time. We find Moses calls the elders together again as the representatives of the people, and this is to the inaugural service of Aaron and the priests for the Levitical priesthood. Look to verse number one, and it came to pass on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel, and said unto Aaron, Take thee a young calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lord." Once again we find these men, these 70 men, acting as the representatives of the collective whole. at the gathering where Aaron and his sons were set apart for holy service. And we see that even within our church, whenever a man is set apart for eldership or set apart for the ministry, the elders gather and the ministers, and they lay their hands on them as the delegate representatives of every congregation out of which they come. And by doing so, they represent the wishes and the desires and the longings of the people by whom they represent. And so we have this thought of a representing. Our elder in the Old Testament played a representative role. Second of all, in the Old Testament, there was not only a representative role attached to eldership, but there was also a ruling role. A ruling role with respect to the judging and the disciplining of the children of Israel. Turn with me to Exodus chapter number 18. Exodus chapter number 18. When Moses left Egypt with the children of Israel, Jethro, his father-in-law, did what we would call a courtesy call. He's going to see how the family's doing. And as he spends a day and a night with them, the next day, Jethro sits and he watches Moses. He watches his son-in-law in judgment from morning to evening, judging the people. And at the close of that day, Jethro questions Moses. He says to him, what is this thing that thou doest for the people or to the people why saidest thou thyself alone and all the people stand by thee from morning to evening. He looks at the situation, he understands that Moses is sitting in judgment, all matters are being brought to him, and he understands that this thing is not good. This thing that thou doest is not good. Verse 17 and 18. Thou shalt surely wear away both thy and this people that is with thee, for this thing is too heavy for thee, thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. And then Jethro launches out to give inspired, I believe, instruction with respect to what Moses is to do. Verse 21, Moreover, thou shalt provide out of the people able men, such as fear God. men of truth, hating covetousness, and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And let them judge the people at all seasons. And it shall be that every great matter they shall bring on to thee, but every small matter they shall judge. So it shall be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee." If I do this thing, Do this thing, and God command thee so, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall go to their place in peace. So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did as he had said. And Moses chose evil men out of Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of the thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And they judged the people in all seasons, the hard causes they brought on to Moses, but every small matter they judged for themselves. Now the word in verse 21, the word rulers, is the Hebrew word sar, S-A-R, and it translates to mean elder. Elder. It translates to mean the representative ruler of the people. That's how it literally translates from the Hebrew. Elder. or the representative rulers of the people. To be elders of thousands, and elders of hundreds, and elders of fifties, and elders of tens. These rulers, these elders, they were to judge the people in small matters. Moses was, yes, to be consulted in the great matters. And so we have the thought, this thought of ruling, this thought of judging, this thought of disciplining, attached to the Old Testament elders. It's brought to our attention. In Numbers chapter 11 we have another occasion where we find this thought of ruling, this thought of judging. Now remember Exodus chapter 18 is pre-Sinai. Pre-Sinai. Numbers 11 is post-Sinai. Numbers 11, the children of Israel, they're going out into the wilderness. They've left Mount Sinai behind. And it's not long before they start to murmur and complain. Their complaint is that they have no flesh to eat. They remember the onions and the garlic and the cucumbers. and the melons that they ate in the land of Egypt. And this ingratitude angered God, and it also displeased God's servants, so much so that Moses goes before God and asks Him to take away his life because, and I'm quoting the words of Moses here, Numbers 11, verse 14, I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. God's response to the burden of Moses The burden that he was feeling is presented to us in the verses 16 and 17 of Numbers chapter 11. Let's read, And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel. And thou knowest to be the elders of the people and officers over them. Bring them on to the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. and I will come down and talk with thee there, and I will take up the spirit which is upon me, and I will put it upon them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, with thee, underline it with thee, thou bear it not thyself alone. The elder is to be with the servant of God, this is the thought that's brought out before us, ruling together, ruling in harmony, the burden shared in the eldership, with respect to the work of God, and God's delegating men for such a task, men to share the burden, to be part of the burden, the burdening of governing and ruling and disciplining the children of Israel. Moses was not to do this alone. He was not to be a one-man band. He wasn't to be a dictator, as there are in some churches and denominations. But the pastor all goes by what he says. That's not the case in this congregation. You may think that is the case, but that is not the case. This church is ruled by presbyters, elders. We come by the grace of God to the unity of mind, by the Spirit of God. That's what was needed. Spirit-filled men. God's going to put His Spirit on them. in order to enable them to rule well the nation of Israel. And so this thought of ruling, there is a ruling. And brethren and sisters, there is, and with respect to eldership, there is times that are needed to discipline. And I want to say to every member, never let that ever be the case in your life. that we as elders would have to come to discipline you because you're going astray, because you're living a life that is not according to the scriptures and standards of God's word. Never let that be the case. It'll break this preacher's heart, but it'll have to be done because there needs to be good governance within the church. And so there is, brethren, Those of you who believe yourself to go forward for this task, there is a representative role. You will represent the family of God in session meetings and in committee meetings and in presbytery meetings. You are delegated with that responsibility and you must fulfill that responsibility and I must fulfill that responsibility. But there also will be times that we'll have to rule. We'll have to judge on matters. But let me say that we are not infallible. That is not a get-out clause. That is simply the case. We are not men who are infallible. And it's very interesting at times that information comes to us, and it may be that that information is not all the information. People are selective in what they tell a session. And so there are times that, yes, we may get it wrong. We trust that that will never be the case, but there is a thought, there is ruling, there is a representative. Thirdly and finally, and I need to end here, there is a third rule that the Old Testament elder was to fulfill, and that was a rehearsing rule or a recalling rule. You see, as God's covenant people, the nation of Israel were to live by God's law. Now while that was normally the task of the leader, to keep the law of God before the minds of the people, there were times that the elders were involved in ensuring those who were living under their care were acquainted with the law and with its requirements. For example, when the covenant is being renewed again at Mount Ebal, prior to the children of Israel entering into the promised land. We find that it was not only Moses who rehearses the law of God before the people. You can turn to Deuteronomy chapter 27, and the verse number one, I'll read it, time's going. And Moses, with the elders of Israel, commanded the people saying, keep all the commandments which I command you this day, and it shall be on the day when you pass over Jordan into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set up the great stones and plaster them with plaster, and thou shalt write upon them all the words of the law, when thou art passed over into the land that floweth with milk and honey." Notice who it was that told the people to keep all the commandments, Moses with the elders. Here we find them together, and they're telling the people, keep all the commandments which I command you this day. This was a joint declaration. And it impressed upon the elders that they had the responsibility, not only the leader Moses, but they had the responsibility to ensure that the law of God was adhered to. And why was that the case? Because folks, Moses wasn't going into the promised land. He was moving on. And there are times when ministers do move on. That is not the case, so don't be going home and thinking about that. But it is the case that happens. You've known it in the congregation. One minister moved on. But it is the elder responsibility in the time of absence, in the time even of a new leader, to make sure that the new leader is continually preaching the old book or the old commandments or the old law. It wasn't that whenever Moses went that the elders were to sit down and to draw up new commandments and new statutes. No. They were to stay by the commandments of God. They were to stick to what God had said. And the elders were involved in that. Just turn to Deuteronomy chapter 31 and I will be finished very soon. Deuteronomy chapter 31 verse 10 and 11, Moses has written now the law of God. But I want you to notice who he gave it to. He gave it not only to the priests. Now remember the priests, they were to preach the word that was part of the priesthood. Offer the sacrifice, offer prayer, yes, but he also gave it to the elders with this clear directive. Notice there, Deuteronomy chapter 31, let's look at the verse number 10. The verse number 10. No, verse number nine, Moses wrote this law and delivered it on to the priests, the sons of Levi, which bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and on to all the elders of Israel. And Moses commanded them, saying, at the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel has come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. In other words, There is to be the repeating of the law of God, keeping the law before the minds of the people. It seems that the elders within the Old Testament had the task and responsibility of rehearsing before the people the word of God, the law of God. We could put it like this, the Old Testament elders were the guardians of the truth. They were the custodians of the truth. It had been entrusted to them. And as a result of that, they were assigned the task of faithfully handing down the unadultery, the truth to the next generation. And they had to be sure of that. They were the custodians of the truth. And for that, they had to know the truth. And they, at times and in seasons, they had to rehearse the truth, repeat the truth to the congregation. And so representing, ruling, and rehearsing were the three main roles the Old Testament ruler had in Israel, and he fulfilled them faithfully as an elder, and such is still the case today. Even the church within the wilderness had a governing structure, And that structure is going to form the basis of the governing structures within the New Testament church. This structure in embryonic form, we could say, is going to form the basis of the structure within the New Testament church. And it is a structure that is centered on the office of eldership. Eldership. But that's for next weekend, the will of God. I need to end. But I trust that what we have seen today, even from the Old Testament, just little glimpses of this thought of eldership. There is a representative role for an elder, there is a ruling role, and there is a rehearsing role, a recalling role, the custodian of truth, making sure that the people stay by the truth. May God help then all to search our hearts and may God help us to be those who are faithful to Him as those who will hold to the truth come what may. Let's bow our heads in prayer together. O God our loving Father, we bow before Thee in the Savior's precious name. We see the gravity, O God, of this whole situation before us. Tremendous responsibility, O God, that lies to the hand of us within the present session as both ruling and teaching elders. We pray in the Savior's name that thou will guide and lead in all affairs, we pray. Grant, O God, each Christian, each member to live life, live a life that is pleasing to the master, pleasing to their Lord and Savior. And help us, O God, to be men, men, O God, who know the truth and who will defend the truth. O God, give us help, we pray. And so settle these things in our minds and hearts. Take away from us, if it be the case, any frivolity and any lightness as we come to consider these very matters. Give to us the mind of God in it all. And glorify Christ in giving to thy church men of thy choosing. to fulfill the role that Thou hast ordained for them. Thou hast set us into the church as it has pleased Thee. Help us to find our role and help us, O God, to stay faithful and true to Thee. We offer this and our prayers in and through Jesus' precious name. Amen and amen. Thank you.