Post 60-Amos, Meddling, and Brother Hartwick’s Minor Prophets Class

Wed, Oct 18, 2017 at 10:36 AM Dana wrote

Hi John,

     Since we first looked at Amos, I have lingered there myself.  As I am teaching through the book of Judges in my Sunday School class, I stay amazed at how much both of the books have to say about what is going on in our world, our country, and our churches today.

     When I am reading Amos, I cannot help but remember back to Brother Hartwick’s class on the Minor Prophets.  Now, to all reading this who knew or studied under Brother Hartwick (Rev. Reuben Hartwick) you will no doubt remember, and to those who didn’t know him, you must understand that he was a no nonsense man.  That is not to say he didn’t ever crack a smile nor have a sense of humor, but compared to the fun loving Brother Grazier, Brother Hartwick was pretty much all business, and suffered no fools lightly.

     My Dad, Bill Acker, for a time was the Dean of Men at Valley Forge Christian College (VFCC) in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania serving under Brother Hartwick, who, if I’m not mistaken, in that day was the Dean of Students.  Anyway, my Dad told me the story of a young man who came to VFCC, and who claimed to be a prophet, specifically sent by God to the college.  Knowing Brother Hartwick as I have, he would not have been impressed.

     Not to make light of one’s afflictions; this young man was suffering from some form of mental illness, and became increasingly delusional as time went by.  Finally one night in his dorm, he could do nothing more than pace back and forth, twiddle his index fingers around each other forwards and backwards, while repeating over and over again, “Touch not God’s anointed, Touch not God’s anointed, Touch not God’s anointed, Touch not God’s anointed….”

     Concerned students called Brother Hartwick and my Dad to intervene.  Upon reaching the young man and confronting him, he proceeded to (and I quote my Dad here) “cast the devil out of Brother Hartwick.”  Needless to say Brother Hartwick was not amused. 

     The young man was soon taken by the authorities to a hospital where he hopefully received some help.  Again, I find nothing comical about the young fellow’s condition, but I would have traded a king’s ransom to have been a fly on the wall when the aforementioned attempted exorcism was performed, just to see the expression on Brother Hartwick’s face.  Hopefully we’ll get to see that scene on movie night in Heaven.

     Brother Hartwick was never effusive with praise for student achievement. His demands were high, and if one did well in his classes, well, that’s what was expected of them…nothing more…nothing less.  I like to think I was a good student, and I endeavored to do well in Brother Hartwick’s classes, “chapter charts” and all.

     Brother Hartwick’s “chapter charts” were the bane of every student’s existence. As he was the primary Old Testament professor, it was nearly impossible for one to go through VFCC and hot take one of his classes.  In any of his courses on the Bible, one had to pick a book and then outline every chapter, writing copious notes, recording every important point, and thus “fleshing out” the book, so that when Brother Hartwick read them (which he always did) he or anyone could understand the book based on said notes.  “Chapter charts” were the educational equivalent of a root canal without Novocain.

     That was then, but as the years went by and I continued in my personal Biblical studies, I found that if I “chapter charted” whatever I was studying, I had excellent notes, from which I could even teach.  The said bane of Brother Hartwick’s student’s existences became one of the most useful tools in my Bible study tool box.  Hindsight indeed is 20/20.  Old Brother Hartwick knew a thing or two.

     A couple of years after I finished at VFCC, my Dad, who was pastoring an Assemblies of God church in Wyncote, PA sadly passed away after suffering from lung cancer, despite much prayer on his behalf from many people.  On the night of the wake, Brother Hartwick came through the line, and when he got to me, the only thing he said was, “Do you still believe in healing?” To which I replied, “It’s in the Bible isn’t it?” Brother Hartwick displayed a faint and rare smile, and said, “You’ll be alright,” then walked on. 

     Many times I have looked back on that moment, and have been thankful for Brother Hartwick’s seldom given “stamp of approval,” as it were.  More so, I am thankful that God gave me the grace to hold that position.  But part of that grace came to and was instilled in me in the form of Brother Hartwick’s classes and lectures.  He had done his job, and I am who I am today due to the fact that God led me to study under men like Reuben Hartwick and Hobart Grazier, among so many others.  They profoundly impacted my life, and I will forever be in God’s debt for such a kindness and blessing.  Thank You, thank You, thank You. That was worth more than gold.

     Now back to Amos in Brother Hartwick’s Minor Prophets class.  There is no way in a million years I can do him justice in relating this story—I guess you just had to be there, but the memory of this is as fresh as if were yesterday when it happened.  I’ll give it my best shot, and I apologize for not being able to present it in a way as profound as Brother Hartwick did.

     Brother Hartwick was teaching in Amos chapters 1 and 2, going over what all God said to the nations through the prophet.  He would read the opening line, and then comment sarcastically as if he were one of the people in Israel receiving the message from Amos in that day and time. 

     He would read the passage (italicized) below, and then would say and I quote, as best I can:

(Note: all texts are ESV and from Amos chapters 1 and 2—words of Bro. Hartwick in bold)

         

Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Damascus,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they have threshed Gilead
    with threshing sledges of iron.

 

“Yeah, you said it, Amos, those guys from Damascus are a bunch of scoundrels.  God’s going to get them.”

 

Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Gaza,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they carried into exile a whole people
    to deliver them up to Edom.

“That’s right, Amos. Who do they think they are?  They deserve every bit of that and more.”

 

Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Tyre,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they delivered up a whole people to Edom,
    and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.

“Preach it, Amos! Nobody likes those people from Tyre anyway. I hope they get what’s coming to them.”

 

Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Edom,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because he pursued his brother with the sword
    and cast off all pity,
and his anger tore perpetually,
    and he kept his wrath forever.

“Rotten Edomites, the lot of them, they could never be trusted. They’re going to get theirs. You tell them, Amos.”

 

Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of the Ammonites,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead,
    that they might enlarge their border.    

 

“You bet, Amos; those shameful Ammonites; they’ve been nothing but a thorn in our side from day one.  God’s going to have a field day with them.”

 

 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Moab,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because he burned to lime
    the bones of the king of Edom.

 

“Yeah, preach it, Amos.  Those stinking Moabites—just like the Ammonites. They’re nothing but trouble.”

 

Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Judah,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they have rejected the law of the Lord,
    and have not kept his statutes,
but their lies have led them astray,
    those after which their fathers walked. 

   

“Now you’re talking.  Kingdom of Judah—Ha!  What a bunch of losers!  Lay it on them, Amos.  They deserve it!”

 

Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Israel,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they sell the righteous for silver,
    and the needy for a pair of sandals—

those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth
    and turn aside the way of the afflicted;
a man and his father go in to the same girl,
    so that my holy name is profaned;

they lay themselves down beside every altar
    on garments taken in pledge,
and in the house of their God they drink
    the wine of those who have been fined.

 

“Hey wait a minute, Amos, now you’ve quit preaching and gone to meddling.”

 

     Then Brother Hartwick would just look at us and smile, then remind us just how much like Israel of old we can be today.  And what a profound lesson for us now!

     On the occasion of my Mother’s death a few years ago, I was able to speak with Brother and Sister Hartwick.  He has retired, and isn’t doing much in the way of preaching.  He told me that he was teaching Sunday School at his church some. In his voice, I detected a note of not quite, but almost sadness, at the fact that he wasn’t as active as he thought he “should” be.  I told him that it was time for him to enjoy a well-deserved rest; that he had done his job well, and that it was time for those who studied under him to carry the torch.  His work lives on through all of us who were so blessed to have sat under such teaching.

     Who, but God, can say how much impact Brother Hartwick has had in the preaching of the Bible, and in the instruction of the saints?  In me he instilled a love and respect for the Old Testament for which I will always be thankful. God bless Brother Hartwick.  God broke the mold after He made him.

Oh well, reminiscing time is over, but it was a good reminiscence.

Talk soon,

Dana 

 

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On 10/21/2017 at 2:47 John added

HI Dana

            I never had Brother Hartwick because I wasn’t a ministerial or missions major. But of course I remember him—never a smile, tall and ramrod straight. But your quote from him concerning Israel and today’s Church, is one I believe should be repeated, and developed, “Hey wait a minute, Amos, now you’ve quit preaching and gone to meddling.”

            I wonder how many in today’s Church would even have an idea what was meant by meddling? This might be one of the reasons today’s Church is as shallow and powerless as it is. I’m still reading Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ Revival.  In Chapter 12 How Revival Comes, he writes about the stages of revival, or, what happens or what must happen for revival to take place. Stage One is “...a realisation...” of just how sinful we, (mankind, humankind) are, even in the Church. But Lloyd-Jones goes on and says that realizing our sinfulness is not enough. Stage Two is repentance.

            Before he gets deep into Stage Two, he tells the reader, what repentance is not. It is not remorse.  He writes on page 155, Remorse is, “There is a cursory superficial facing of the facts that is of no value at all....The man who suffers remorse is a man who, in a sense , looks at the facts but does not spend much time about it....He forgets (what he did/does) and goes on. That is remorse, it is of no value. “

            He points the readers to Paul in 2 Corinthians Chapter 7:8-11 for the classic statement on what repentance means. Lloyd-Jones quotes the King James, but I like how plain and straightforward The Message makes it:

 

^8-9 I know I distressed you greatly with my letter. Although I felt awful at the time, I don’t feel at all bad now that I see how it turned out. The letter upset you, but only for a while. Now I’m glad—not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around (i.e. repentance). You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss.

¹⁰ Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.

¹¹ And now, isn’t it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You’re more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you’ve come out of this with purity of heart.

 

            The Church today needs pastors, teachers, and preachers who will meddle, not coddle. I heard Rev. Alistair Begg on the radio this week talking to a room full of church leaders, pastors. He challenged them to just proclaim God’s Word with authority and having confidence in It’s ability through the Holy Spirit to bring people to confront their sin and repent and then walk with Him down His narrow path.

 

³ So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. Acts 14 NIV

 

 ¹²For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Heb 4 NASB

 

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matt 7 NIV

 

            I’ll end with something else from Lloyd-Jones in this chapter dealing with, among other things, repentance from pages 156 and 157:

 

“Repentance does not just mean that you are pulled up, that you are aware that things are not as they ought to be, and that there is something wrong. No, you go on to a realisation of the seriousness of what is wrong, and its appalling character....they hated the thing (sin/sins), they abominated it, they condemned themselves root and branch. Ah, but still more important than that, they realised the seriousness of their sin in God’s sight.”

 

Then he challenges the reader (leaders and followers) with this question: 

 

Do you ever think of what our sin is like in the sight of God?

 

Finally Lloyd-Jones says, that in order for us, for the Church, to see revival,

 

“(We) begin to see what a terrible, appalling thing sin is in the sight of God. (We must) temporarily even forget the state of the Church, and forget (our) own anguish.  It is the thought of sin in the sight of God. How terrible it must be....(Nothing else matters but) the realisation of sin in the presence of God.”

 

Pastor, teacher, preacher, I think I can say with confidence, it’s OK with God to start meddling.  We all need it.