The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-04-23


tell us Of the silence of sheol and hades
and that there is neither wisdom nor
knowledge nor device there: that the
dead know not anything Scholars
therefore have been perplexed greatly
at the statement of this parable that
the rich man lifted up his eyes in
hades, being in torments. The diff
Guilty dissolves as soon as we have
the proper Interpretation to the para
BILE and see that the Jewish people
died as nation and were buried as a
nation, but did not all die individually.
The people of Israel. outcast from
their own land among all the nations
of earth. are very much alive. socially
and personally. having suffered for all
these centuries.
Only very recently we have had an
exhibition of how this rich man Qs-
raeD, dead as nation. but alive as a
people. has appealed to Father Abra-
ham to have Lazarus cool his tongue
with a drop of water. OF course the
thought would not be that a spirit
finger would take drop of literal wa
ter to cool a literal tongue. The inter-
probation must be looked for along the
lines of the parable. The fulfllment
came when the Jews of this country
In a general petition requested the
president of the United States to CO.
operate with other christian nations
and intercede on behalf Of their men,
bers in Russia that they might have
more liberty and less persecution. that
their torments might be cooled.
If we look for the rich mans ''five
brethren" we find them. There were
twelve tribes of Israel. and. although
all Of these tribes were in general
way represented in Israel in our Lords
day, yet, strictly speaking, that rich
man was composed mainly Of the two
tribes-Judah and Benjamin. Now, il
the two tribes were represented in the
one man the other ten tribes would
be properly enough represented in his
five brethren" The suggestion of the
parable that something be done for
these five brethren is for the purpose
of showing us that nothing would be
done for them. The answer Of the ap-
peal was: ''They have Moses and the
prophets. If they hear not Moses
and the prophets. neither will they be
persuaded though one rose from the
dead" luke xvi, %, 81.
Here, dear friends, we have con.
sistent Interpretation of this parable,
and it relieves our minds greatly. 1t
assists also in illustrating to us the
special relationship of the Jews under
the Law Covenant and how this special
relationship was lost by reason of
their unbelief and how their unbelief
alienated them from the divine favor
of this gospel age and constituted a
deep and wide gulf between them and
the spiritual Israel class represented
in Lazarus in Abraham's bosom. We
thank God that the promise of the
Scriptures is that with the end of this
gospel age this gulf of unbelief and
consequent separation from divine ia
vor will be done away and Israel will
be delivered from the torments Of
tional resuscitation or resurrection I'M
der the glorious privileges. favors and
advantages of the new covenant. Even
so have these also not believed that
through your mercy they also may OBJ
tain mercy" Romans II. 81.
israePs New Covenant.
Gods great covenant. the oath bound
covenant. In thee and in thy Seed
shall all the families of the earth be
blessed" applies specifically to the
Christ, to our Redeemer and Lord. the
Head and to the "elect" Church, the
members of his Body.