The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-09-10
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
SEPTEMBER IA.
Lesson Text "Parable OF the
Pounds" Luke xix, 11-27-Golden 1
Text: Luke xix, 26-Com-
mentary.


throne Of David, or the throne Of the Lord,
ut Jerusalem, on which David and Solomon
sat as the representatives Of Jehovah q
Chron. xxx, 23y. That this was the King
dom they expected is clearly stated in Luke
xiv, 81; Acts l., o; and that they had
right to expect this is seen in the Davidic
covenant III Sam. vii, 12-16; Chron.
1vii, l1-l4; also in all the prophets (see
Isaiah X, 6, Z; Jer. ILL, ~, and in the words
Of Gabriel to Mary luke l., 80. 3S).
That they had much ground for expecting
the Kingdom at that time is seen in the fact
that John the Baptist Jesus Himself, the
twelve, and the seventy, all preached that the
Kingdom was at hand Matt. iii, 2; iv., II;
<, z; Luke K, 8. Why then this parable,
and why was the Kingdom not then to be
established The Kingdom in the person of
the King-Jesus the son Of David-had been
at hand and in their midst, but they knew
Him not, received Him not, and were now
about to kill Him. Therefore He said:
given to nation bringing forth the fruits
thereof Matt. xxi, 43). Tneir rejection Of
Him as nation postpones the restoration Of
the throne Of David until His return (Acts
ill.,, 21), and they have lost certain high priv
ileges which will be given to another elect
nation, even the church or body of Christ,
now being gathered out Of all nations (Acts
xv., Ia; Pet. H., 81.
IL. He said, therefore, q certain noble
man went into far country, to receive for
himself kingdom and to return" He re-
fers to Himself and the Kingdom now post
poned, but to be established on this earth at
His return. His approaching death He
speaks of as a journey into a far country.
49, "And He called his ten servants and
delivered them ten pounds, and said unto
them, Occupy till come" While BE Is abb
sent He expects His servants to be busy In
His affairs, and He gives them something
with which to work or do business for Him.
In this parable each one receives the same,
while in the parallel parable Of the talents
Matt. XIV, 15 each receives according to
ability. The pound to each may signify the
Spirit, which Is given to every man to profit
withal, while the talents may refer to the
special gifts of the Spirit given to o,each as
The servants must be those who believe In
Him and hath thus become His redeemed.
and they are to be engaged in His work
right up to the time of His coming again.
II. "But His citizens hated Him and sent a
message after Him, saying, Wewill not have
this man to reign over u.s." In verse "a these
citizens are called enemies. They are under
His care, they are nominally His subjects,
He loves them and seeks their welfare, yet
they hate Him without cause and desire
another King (Ps. Xix, 4; John xv., 25; I.
Sam. viii, 19; John xix, 10. Is not every
one who refuses to receive Jesus as his Saw
Jour virtually doing just as these citizsus?
They would not like to say that they hate
Him, but their actions say it. their heart
says it, and He reads the heart. All who
are only Christians nname, and whose only
desire is to escape hell, but would be glad II
there was no hell and no need of Saviour.
these are surely His enemies.
Is. "And it came to pass, that when He
was returned, having received the Kingdom,
then He commanded these servants to be
called unto Him, to whom He had given the
money, that He might know how much every
man had gained by trading" He will yet re-
ceive the Kingdom, He will return, His serv-'
ants must give all account Of pounds or talents
intrusted to them. He speaks Of the future
as if already present. He sees the end from
the beginning. He speaks Of the time men-
toned in Dan. vii, 13, IA; Rev. xi.. Is. But
ere the Kingdom is fully established, the
servants in this present time must be reck-
onei with, and their places in the Kingdom
appointed them according to their faithful
ness.
IS. "Then came the first, saying, Lord, Thy
pound hath gained ten pounds" What Joy
this one would have in rendering his account.
dently sought his Masters interests. And
yet notice be does not say, Lord, have made
your pound into ten, but leaving himself
out he says, THY pound hath gained ten
pounds" As when Paul said concerning his
labors: mot but the grace of God which
was with me' Il Cor xv., 10y. 1t is God
who giveth and it is God who worketh, and
to Him alone shall be all the glory.
II. "And He said unto him, Well, thou
good servant; because thou hast been faith
full in very little, h;. thou authority over
ten cities" All that is intrusted to US to do
here in this present time is but a very lit
tie compared with our service in the King
dom when it shall come; and it is not success
that He corhmends, but faithfulnesS
1S. "And the second came, saying Lord,
Thy pound hath gained five pounds" Each
one shall give account Of himself. Every
man shall receive his own reward according
to his own labor Il Cor. iii, 81.
10. ':And He said likewise to him, Be thou
also over five cities" There is no reproof
because his pound had not gained ten. In
his measure he had been faithful, and in that
measure he is rewarded. Every one accord
ing to his own labor. One star differeth
from another star in glory; so also is the
resurrection of the dead II Cor. XIV, II, ~.
20. 'tAnd another came, saying, Lord, be-
hold, here is Thy pound, which have kept
laid up in napkin" The Lords gift un-
used and therefore not improved. Like some
who say that years ago they were converted;
but no one ever heard them tell another how
to get eternal life They can talk, but not of
Jesus and His love; they can sing, but not Of
Him; they have time enough at their dis
posal. but instead Of using it for Him they
labor to while it away; they have money,
but it is spent upon themselves; yet they pro-
fess to have eternal life. aud are members In
good standing of some orth odox church.
81 "For feared Thee, because Thou art
an austerc man; Thou takest up that Thou
layedst not down. and reapest that Thou
didst not SOW" Having received salvation
as free gift from God, we are then to work
it out with fear and trembling, for it is God
Who worketh in US Phil ii , 12, 13l.
%. And He saith unto him: Out OF thine
own mouth will judge thee thou wicked
servant By our words we shall be justl-
fed or by our words condemned Matt. xii,
81. God reads the heart, but out OF the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Jesus is the Word OF God and the faithful
manifestation of what God is.
% Wherefore then gavest not thou My
money into the bank, that at My coming |
might have required mine own with usury?'
It is God who Civeth us all things and
whether it be eternal life, His holy spirit, or
the Ordinary temporal blessings Of daily life,
all crme under the head of His money"
His own," waich He expects us to use for
His glory.
al-;aj. Take from him the pound and give
it to him who hath ten pounds" So every
one who uses we'll what he has will have
moro entrusted to him, while the wicked
servants who bear the Masters name but
kaow Him not, shall lose what they have, or
rather what they seem 10 have. or think
they have luke viii. IS and margin). For
what We do not enjoy or make some use OF
WE canrot truly be said to have. We may
have tie name of possessing, like the name
to life. without the reality; from which may
:ha I. Nd deliver Ils-LeSSol HeLper