The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-03-16
THE SON REJECTED.
LESSON XII, INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY
SCHOOL SERIES, MARCH te.

Tert Of the Lesson, Matt sHi. ss-AS.
Golden Text, John ., it--Memorire
Verses s3.3s-Commept by Rev. Will
liam Newton. ID. ID.
rrom Lesson Helper Quarterly, by permission OF
II. s. Hoffman, Philadelphia, publsherl
Notes-A parable, spiritual truth conveyed
under material forms or images. wine
press, rather "a place for the wine fat" This
Is usually formed in a ledge of rock, IL II
rectangular in form and communicates with
lower vat into which the juice runs as the
grapes are pressed in the one above.
tower, sometimes called "a lodge" for the
keeper of the vineyard. Let 1t out, or hired
It out for part of the crop. Husbandmen,
those who worked the vineyard. Stoned, not
killed, but drove him off with stones. Like
wise, in the same way. Reverence, pay
respect to- Heir. one who receives property
from another by descent Inheritance, the
property that was to go TO the heir. HereN
is the vineyard Render, return, pay or
yield. Marvellous, wonderful. Perceived,
saw or understood. Lay hands on him, or
do violence to him. Powder, fine dust
Prophet u foreteIler of future events and so
Gods messenger to them.
v. 80. There is no question that the parable
here spoken by our Lord is the reproduction
of Isaiah v, IL For the statement is alto
gether unqualified. "The vineyard of the
Lord Of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the
men of Judah his pleasant plant, Isaiah V,
2. And again we read, "Yet had planted
thee noble vine,n jeremiah ILL., 81. And we
can trace each event described in this verse.
Doubtless the planting took place at Horeb.
Read Exodus xix, 4-6. Israel was chosen
before this But their visible taking out
from the nations took place then and there.
There the planting took place. And the set
ting of the hedge about them, what was this
but the enactment of the statutes and ordi-
nances shutting them in from the nations
about them. And the wine press and the
tower, what are these but completed arrange
ments for their efficiency and safety as the
vineyard of the Lord. Now, there was .
purpose in all this. And that purpose was
the receiving of the fruits of the vineyard.
And here comes in the letting out to hus-
bandmen and the departure Of the owner
into another country as perfectly natural in.
cidents Of the parable. And 80 Israel stands
before us, let out to or put into the hands Of
the rulers, who were appointed Of God to con-
duct its affairs as really as husbandmen do
those of vineyard.
Y. 1886 There can be no shadow Of o
noabt that these servants represent the seers
and the prophets sent in the Lords name to
hold the rulers to the faithful discharge of
the great trust put into their hands From
Acts iii, "a it seems that Samuel was the
first of the line. And from him the line
sweeps onward unto John, who was the last
before the son. And from the verses before
US we learn:
/. God expects fruit from spiritual privi-
leges.
2. That he holds men to account for them.
8. There is enmity in mans heart against
God.
" 81, 49, The ruling spirit of enmity
within comes to o climax here. The Son Of
the Lord of the vineyard is sent last of all,
and him they cast out and kill OF course
the doubt as to how he would be received ap-
plies only to the earthly side of the parable.
The owner of this vineyard did not know.
But we cannot carry this over to its spiritual
side, or TO that which the parable represents.
Here all is clear in the certainty Of knowl.
edge as to the treatment he would receive.
In the councils of the Godhead he was ''Ths
lamb slain from the foundation Of the
world" Rev. xii, 8. And as the shadows OF
the cross darkened about him, he said Nov
is my soul troubled. And what shall say
Father, save me from this hour. But for
this cause came ! to this hour" John xii,
81. And yet this certainty of the fact Of his
| rejection and death at their hands did not
| affect to the shadow Of a hair the voluntari.
ness of their action in rejecting and cruelty
| ing him. "By wicked hands ye have cruci
| fed and slain" him. was the charge Of the
/ apostle against tL3m under the direct teach
| ing of the Spirit And the essence of theiI
| wickedness was, "They hated me without q
cause" John xv, 25. And there was nc
cloak for that sin.
v. 39-41. Now, in view Of the facts of thii
treatment, our Lords question here is mos
natural and pointed. And to it there coult
be but one answer, and this the chief priest
and Pharisees gave at once And in it ther,
are two truths very clearly stated:
/. A just retribution, and
g A new disposition Of the vineyard.
V. ~ Now comes the application of thi
by the Lord to themselves And he did SO il
the words of their own scripture. There i
no shadow of doubt that the reference is Il
the Messiah, and has always been held to b
so. ''Ihe stone' is the Messiah. The builders
the rulers of the Jews. The refusing or re
jecting of the stone, the crucifying of tn
Lord and making him the head of the corner
his rising from the dead. All this is clear a
light without cloud. And just as clear
too, is the truth that under this change o
figure, Gods everlasting purpose of the ex
altation of the Son whom the husbandmel
were about to cast out and kill was thus an
nounced to them. In the one figure the,
were the "builders" In the other the "hus
bandmen.n And in each destruction was tn
inevitable doom.
| V. AZ How full of solemn majesty ar
these words: Therefore say unto you, etc
They are the words Of one who had in hi
hands all power in heaven and in earth, bu
who for purpose and a time had stopped +
become the servant of all
'sThe kingdom of God,n no doubt, was tina
| given to the Jews when the Lord called ther
to himself to be "a peculiar treasure" $
kingdom of priests and holy nation" Exc
dus xix, SO. And it was given to them O
that time, as We have seen the vineyard wa
planted then. But it was conditioned o
Israels obedience.
v. A. The Jewish people fell ON this ston
and were broken. And or 1900 years the
have been broken. But a wound is nc
death. They have been sorely wounded
Thank God there is "balm in GileaC
There is a physician there" The day c
Israel's healing draws near But when til
stone smites the confederate nations-DaI
ii, 81, 35-that is not a wound, but destru'
tion.
V. A., Al. The truth cut home. They fe
the keenness of its edge the telling power
/ tbr,,c Thau tha,nsalys.a in, ba al n
ure But their only reply was a hatred MOI
intense and determination to pursue hil
even to the death. They could not deny tl
truth of his words But they could put hi
out of the way. They could not extenua
their wrongs. They could only kill hi
who told them Of them.