The Numbers Syndrome

Symptoms of this ancient disorder are not lacking in the church today. Watch for questions like, "How many baptisms?" and "How much money?"

D. A. Delafield is an associate secretary of the Ellen G. White Estate at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

 

In the book of Daniel a mysterious person known as "Palmoni," or "the numberer of secrets" (identified by some scholars with Christ) is introduced. He is indeed the Wonderful Numberer. (See Daniel 8:13, margin.) Only one with enormous mathematical ability could number the stars (Ps. 147:4), or the sands on the seashore (Ps. 139:18), or the hairs of our head (Luke 12:7).

The symbols of the stars and the sand represent the host of the saved. No man can number them (Rev. 7:9; Job 38:37; Gen. 13:16), but God can—even the minute atoms functioning with spectacular precision.

The question of numbering has tempted church leaders in every generation since the world began. When an organization begins to grow, there is a tantalizing urge to take a census. Oh, how good it would feel if we were really big/But there are some things man should not number—even if he is able.

In ancient times Israel's king or the army chief of staff would estimate the kingdom's strength by the number of its legions. When Gideon looked upon the host of 32,000 warriors, he was pleased. But God chose only 300 from among them to achieve a sensational military victory. Why? Lest Israel say, "Mine own hand hath saved me" and the army of the people "vaunt them selves against" the Lord (Judges 7:2).

The sword of the Lord and of Gideon and the valiant 300—that was all God needed. With this small band of consecrated men, the courageous Ephraimite put to flight the Midianites and their allies from Edom.

Jonathan, with his armorbearer, also exhibited that faith in God that brings divine help. Saul's son was the champion of the army that day at Michmash and Gibeah. The triumphant young soldier smote the garrison of the Philistines. "The earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling" (1 Sam. 14:15). "And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another" (verse 16). "So the Lord saved Israel that day" (verse 23).

When faced with a million Ethiopian warriors, King Asa "cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. . . . And the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves" (2 Chron. 14:11-13).

The Lord had promised His people, "Ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you" (Lev. 26:7-9).

John Wesley, the great Methodist leader, must have been inspired by that text, for he wrote, "Give me ten men who fear nothing but God, and hate nothing but sin, and I will set the world on fire." His success demonstrated what God can do.

Many a Bible story confirms this fact. Moses delivered Israel with nothing but a rod in his hand. Shamgar killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad. Samson slew a thousand with the fresh jawbone of an ass.

David in his youth needed only one smooth stone and his worthy sling to fell the giant Goliath. Said the confident David: "And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands" (1 Sam. 17:47).

After he became king—and a successful warrior king he was—the son of Jesse, flushed with pride, took a census of the hosts of Israel. In the eyes of the Lord it was folly and wickedness. Joab, the commander and chief of David's host, was as signed the project. These are the figures, the awesome figures: 1,100,000 fighting men in Israel; 470,000 in Judah. (Levi and Benjamin were not counted.) The Bible says the king felt a barren, nagging guilt. And God was displeased. The Lord hated David's numbers game.

Little wonder that the Lord pro tested. The prophet Gad came solemnly before the king, laden with a message. David could take his pick of three things—a plague for three days, three months of destruction by the armies of the enemy, or three years of famine. David chose three days of plague. "Let me fall now into the hand of the Lord," he cried, "not . . . into the hand of man" (1 Chron. 21:13). Seventy thousand Israelites died, probably the callous and irreverent. God does not make mistakes when judgment falls.

David's sin illustrates the folly of the numbers syndrome, the tend ency to depend upon human or material resources while fighting the battles of the Lord.

The numbers syndrome is present wherever there are human beings. Seventh-day Adventists have not escaped it. The terms of reference are generally "How many baptisms?" or "How much money?"

In a sense these questions are natural and, when motivated by zeal for the Lord, perhaps innocent enough. But can success be measured by the dollar sign or by the largest numbers? Is not the real question, Have we done our best for the Lord? Who can supply the power and give the success and apply the test but the Lord Himself?

When we look at numbers, we tend to classify people. Here is an evangelist who has won—well, let us say one hundred and twenty. That puts him in a certain class. (Praise the Lord for men like that!) But what about the pastor whose campaign gathered in only five or ten? Are there not factors other than numbers that should be considered? "God would be better pleased to have six truly converted to the truth . . . than to have sixty make a nominal profession." —Evangelism, p. 320.

Let us not work for less numbers, but for more. What we need less of is the artificial measuring of success. We should abandon the numbers syndrome forever. The real standard must be, Have I done my best for Jesus?

Every minister longs for achievement. He dreams big dreams of preaching to packed audiences and winning large numbers to Christ, but when only a few turn out and a handful are baptized, he feels let down and depressed. What went wrong?

To achieve maximum results, the preacher must do more than dream and set goals. There is nothing wrong with dreams, and even goals may be useful. Preachers should dream and think big, but the dream is not the reality.

When people flock to hear a man preach, there is a reason. He is well prepared. He has spent hours preparing sermons, organizing his campaign, planning his advertising, recruiting helpers (sometimes the local workers begin a year in advance), visiting people, praying and working his heart out, trusting the Lord.

With the evangelistic campaign come the results. With the special blessing of God the preacher has made his own dreams come true. God and man working hand in hand become an invincible partnership.

But not all men are of equal talent. One preacher may prepare as earnestly as the next but win fewer souls. But if he has done his best he is equally successful in God's eyes. And he should be in ours. Paul says that we ought not to compare our selves among ourselves. To compare can lead to envy, envy can lead to malice, and malice to violence.

The numbers syndrome. Can we get away from it? Can we not let God measure success? "Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few" (1 Sam. 14:6, R.S.V.).

D. A. Delafield is an associate secretary of the Ellen G. White Estate at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

June 1978

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