Lakeland Evening Telegram Newspaper, May 4, 1912, Page 2

International Sunda& School Lesson Luke 16:19-31.—May 5. Subject—Poverty and Riches. Text—"A man’s life consisteth ot in the abundance oi ilie things hich he possesseth.”—Luké 12:15. The great difficulty with many in ‘veading this Scripture is that, though ‘they regard it as a parable, they reas- on it and draw conclusions from i as though it were a literal state- ment. To regard it as a literal ifi.tement fuvolves several absurdi- for instance, that the rich man nt to “hell” because he had en- Joyed many earthly blessings and ‘gave nothing but crumbs to Lazurus, ot a word is said about his wicked- Again, Lazarus was Dblessed, |prophecy).” The promises to Abra- | o humbie Gentiles &ud the God- because he ‘was a sincere child |ham and David and their organiza- socking “outcasts” of Israel under- of God, full of faith and trust, not h;nuie he was good, but simply be- eause he was poor and sick. If this he interpreted literally, the only log- jeal lesson to be drawn from it is ;i that unless we are poor beggars, full of sores, we will never enter into fu- ture bliss; and that if now we wear * gny fine linen and purple, and have ‘phnty'to eat every day, We -are sure of future torment. Again, the cov- eted place of favor is “Abraham’s bosom;” and if the-whole statement be literal, the bosom must also be We therefore offer the following ex- pianation without any attempt to force our views upon the reader, ex- cept so far as his own truth-eplight- ened judgment may commend them as in accord with God's word and plan. To our understanding, Abra- bam represented God, and the ‘rich man” represented the Jewish nation. At the time of the utterance of the parable, and for a long time prev- fous, the Jews 'had “fared sumptu- dusly every day’—being the espe< cial recipients of God’s favor. As Paul says: “What advantage then hath the Jew? Much every way; THE EVENING TELEGRAM “Truth, Lord, but the dogs eat of the crumbs’ that fall from their mas- ter's table”” (Matt. 15:26, 27). Jesus healed her daughter, thus giy- |ing the desired crumb of favor. But there came a great dispensa- tional change in Israel’s history when as a nation they rejected and crucified the Son of God. Then their typical righteousness ceased-—then ilig proimise of royalty ceased to ’PAV tneirs, and the kingdom was taken from them to be given to a mnation bringing forth the fruits thereof— the Gospel church, “a holy nation, & peculiar people.. . (Titus 2:14; 21 Peter 2:7, 9; Matt. 21:43). Thus the “rich man” died to all these special advantages, and soon he (the Jewish nation) found himself in a cast-off condition—in tribulation and a iction. In such condition that nation has suffered from that day chiefly because to them were com- mitted the oracles of God (law and tion as a typical Kingdom of God in- vested that people with royalty, as represented by the rich man’s “pur- ple.”” The typical sacrifices of the) law constituted them ,in a typical sense, a holy (righteous) nation, rep- resented by the rich man’s “fine linen,”’—symbolic of righteousness. —Rev. 19:8. Lazarus represented ‘the outcasts from divine favor under the law, who, sin-sick, hungeréd and thirsted to this. . Lazarus also died; the condition. of went a great change, being carried b_v' the angels (messengers——npdstm{ etc,) to Abraham’s bosom. Abraham is represented as the father of the faithful, and receives all the children of faith, who are thus recognized as the heirs of all the promises made to Abraham; for the children of the flesh are not the children 6f God, “but the children of the promise are connted for the seed” (children of Abraham); “which seed is Christ;” o Brick Lime Cement Plaster -G TO SEE US! Office: Foot of Main Street, the Paul & Waymer Lumber € after righteousness. ‘‘Publicans and sinners”’ of Tsrael, seeking a better ~and “if ye be Christ’s, then are ve (believers) Abraham’s seed (chil- literal, and it surely would ‘not hold yery many of earth’s millions of sick and poor. But why consider absurdities? As a parable, it is easy of interpretation. In a parable the thing said is never the thing meant. We know this from our Lord’s own explanations of His parables. When He sald “wheat,” He meant ‘‘childrem of the kingdom;"’ when He said “tares,” He meant “the children of the devil;” when He said “réapers” His servants were to be understood, etc. (Matt. 13). The game classes were represented by dif- ferent symbols in dTfferent parables. life, and truth-hungry Gentiles who were “feeling after God,” constituted (Abrahamic) promise.’—Gal. 3:29. the Lazarus class. These, at the| oy (ne tetminauion ot tne com- time of the utterance of this parable, dition of things then existing was were entirely destitute of those spé- . fjustrated by the hgure, death cial diwine blessings which Israel en- __,;o qissolution of the Jewisn polity joyed. They lay at the gate of the ,,4 (ns witharawal of the #avors rich man. No rich promises of r05- yyich 1grael had so long enjoyed. alty were theirs; not even typically There they were cast off and have were they cleansed; but, in moral .o peen shown “no favor,” Wwhile sickness, pollution and sin, they were thé poor Gentlles, Who betore had companions of ‘““dogs.” DOBS Were .., «g)iens from the commonwealth regarded as ‘detestaBle creatures in (the polity) of Israel and strangers those days, and the ‘typically clean f1om the covenahtinl otonise (ap'th Jow célled the outsiders “heathen” | .. yime given to Israel only) hay- and “dogs "/ and would never oat ing no hope and without God in the dren), and heirs according to the law none can be justified before God, and that if any man keep the law (put himself under it to try to com- mend himself to God by reason of obedience to lt) Christ shall profit} him nothing. (Gal, 5:2-4.) So, then, we who are of the Lazarus class should not attempt to mix the law and the gospel, knowing that they cannot be mixed, and that we can do no good to those who still cling to the law and reject the sacrifice for sins given by our Lord. And they, not seeing the change of dls-l pensation which took place, argue \ PRICES RIGHT b SERVICE RIGHT NO all the true chidren of faith.—John §:39; Rom, 4:16; Gal. 3:29. The plea of the “rich man” for the sending of “Lazarus” to his five brethren we interpret as follows: The people of Judea, at the time of our Lord's utterance of this para- ble, were repeatedly referred to’ as “Israel,” “the lost sheep of th house of- Israel,” ‘‘cities of Israel cte,, because all of the tribes were t‘pret represented there; but actually thedhers; a ce it would be useless majority of the people were of the to attempt further Gcon two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, but with them, even by dno from the few of the ten tribes having returned | dead—the figurative céased fo all Israel (the ‘ten tribes, as well a8 to the two more directly addressed). It seems to us evident that Tsracl only meant, for no other nation than Israel had “Moses and the prophets™ as instructors, (Verse 29.) majority of the ‘ten tribes had so " disregarded Moses and the prophets that. they diq not return to dand of promise, with them, nor marry, nor have any dealings with them.—John 4:9. As to how these ate of the “crumbs” of divine favor which fell from Israel’s table of bounties, the rus’ represents another class. Lord’s” words to the-Syro-Phenician In attempting to expound a para-|woman give us a key. He said to this ble such as this, an explanation of |Gentile woman: “It is not meet which the Lord does not furnish us, | (proper) to take the children’s modesty in expressing our opinion|(Israilites’) bread and cast it to regarding it is certainly appropriate.|dogs (Gentiles);"” and she answered, Thus the “wheat” of one parable corresponds to the “faithful serv- ants,” and the “wise virgins” of oth- ‘ers. So, in this parable, the “rich man’’ represents a class, and “Laza- T The Palace of Good Things To Eat To get better acquainted with the trade in Lakeland I will sell Saturday, May 4, the following for cash: Eagle Brand Breakfast Bacon....... vovs 181-2 ofs. Swift Premium Hams ........ R Empire Breakfast Bacon. . 213-4 ots. Jones & Lamb’s Picnic Hams. .. .. 14 ots, English Style Shoplders ... .. Ve veiv. 10 ots, Best Bacon Bellies, si .. .oiverviiiaeoianinaeins ass 1634 cts We also carry a'complete stook Native and Kansas City Feef, Pork, Veal and Mutton, Live and Dressed Poultry, American and Imported Cheese and Sausage. FOX RIVER (CLOVER HILL) BUTTER. In fact you can find anything to eat that the market affords. Ahl: :rden appreciated. The on}y Abgolute Sanitary Market in Lake- 3 3 . Pione Your Order and Look for the Boy PHONE 279 0 Always In The Lead That's What We Aim To Be Always in the lead, when it comes to fresh, pure, full-strength drugs, tol- let articles, sundries, and all ‘drug ‘store merchan- dise. You'll be satisfied when you deal at -our 'store for our service is DISTANCE Phone Your Order Don’t try your temper or . patience, simply gc to your' telephone and call 62, and you will be con- nected with our Special Order Department. What- ever your particular de- sire may be, we'll take care of It with tory goods and satisfac- pleasing in every way. . tory service, s HENLEY & HENLEY THE WHITE DRUG STORE 8 |of God-from going to the Jew-—under world,” were them ‘‘made right by the blood of Christ” and reconciled to God.—Eph, 2:12, 13, % To the symbolisms of death and burial used to {llustrate the dissolu- tion of Israel and their burial or hiding among the other nations, our Lord added a further figure—"In hel} (hades, thg grave) he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abrabam afar off,j etc. The dead cannot 1lift up their eyes, nor sge, either near or far, nor converse; for it is distinctly sated “There is mo work, nor device, nor *kno‘ledze, nor wisdom in the grave;” and the dead are described as those who ‘‘go down into silence.” (Ecel. 9:10; Psa. 115:17). But the Lord wished to show that great sufferings or_ (tor- ments” would be added to the Jews as a nation after their national dis- golution and burial among the ether peoples dead in trespasses and sins; and that they would plead in vain for release and comfort at the hand of the formerly despised Lazarus aud history has born'e*t;ti!i\.‘mlnu.; paravvlic prophecy. ror eighteen daundred years the Jews have noc lunly been 1n distress of mind over u;ufl‘ casting out irom the tavor ol wua and the loss ot their temple ana other necessaries to the offering or their sacrifices, but they have wveen relentlessly persecuted by all classes, Including pmxea&d Christians, It was from the latter that the Jews have not only beén in distress of mind over their casting but from the fa- vor of God and the loss of théir tem- ple and other necessaries to the ot- tering of their sacrifices, but they have been relentlessly persecuted by all classes, including professed Christians. It was from the latter that the Jews have expected mercy, 8¢ expressed in the parable—“Send | Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue;” but the great gulf fixed be- tween them hinders that. Never- theless, God still recognizes the relationship established in His covenant with them, and addresses them as children of the- covenant. (Verse 25.) These “torments™ have been"the penalties attached to the Violation of their covenant, and were 48 certain to be visited upon them as the blessings promised for obedi- lence.—See Lev. 26, The “great gulf fixed” represents the wide difference between the Gos- pel church and the Jew-—the former | enjoying free grace, joy, comfort and Deace as true sons of God, and the latter holding to the law, which con- | demps and torments, Prejudice, pride and error, from the Jewish slde, form the bulwarks of this gult Which hinder the Jew from coming into the condition of true sons of God by accepting Christ and the gos- | el of His grace. The bulwark of | this gult which ‘hinders true sons| the bondage of the law—ig their that to deny the law as the power|from Babylon under Cyrus’ general to save would be to deny all the past | permission. If the nation of the history of their race, and to deny|Jews (chiefly'two tribes) were rep- all of God's special dealings with the [resented in the ome “rich man,” it “fathers,” (promises "and ~ dealings|would be a harmony of numbers to which thrdugh pride and selfishness | understand the ‘five brethren” to they failed rightly to apprehend”and |represent the ten tribes chiefly scat- uge); hence they cannot come over |tered abroad. The request ‘relntln to the bosom of Abraham, into the|to themi was doubtless introduced to true rest and peace—the portion of lshow that all special favor of God Though the parable n bridging of this “great gulf,” other portions of Seripture findicate that it was to be “fixed” omly throughout the Gospel age, and that at its close the “rich man,” li'ayln; received the el knowledge_that by the deeds of the (Continued on !‘mfi) SATURDAY NIGHT 12P, M. The| - Will mark the end of Last Day Great Doomed @, We have prepared t¢ make Satur- day, the last day, a fitting climax to this unprecidented success. The mer- cantile magfet will again draw the crowds where the bargains are -the best and biggest, : J.W. CHILES & SONS @ Opportunity knocks on the door but once. Take advantage of this one and attend the last day of this Sale,. Then you can say, “T have had my share; I have availed myself of an opportunity that will never come again, .. e 10 yids. best 7o Calico, Doomed Sale price, 10 ~..ds . .............. .80 The bes, 10¢ Bleaching, Doomed Sale "The best 12 1-2c Amoskeag and A, F. ‘A BLAZE OF BARGAINS IN EVERY DEPART. $1.25 Pants, Doomed