Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1910-06-30
The
SchooI
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COW
MENTS FOl JULY s.

INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTs FOl JULY s.
Subject: Pictures Of the Kingdom
Matt. 13:31-33, 44-52-Commit
to Memory Verse A.
GOLDEN TEXT.-tsThe kingdom
OF God is not meat and drink; but
righteousness and peace, and Joy in
the Holy Ghost, Rom. 14:17.
TIME.-A. D. %.
PLACE.-By the Sea of Galilee.
near Capernaum.
EXPOSITION. - /. Outward
Growth and Inward Rot, 31-33. Two
more parallels Of growth and both
about the kingdom of heaven" The
parable Of the mustard seed shows
q marvellous outward growth of the
kingdom from the smallest begin
n1ngs. Christ began His work with a
lew obscure men, and it spread until
the nations took shelter in its
branches. Some would take the birds
OF heaven here to be evil spirits, as in.
verses 4 and 10, but it is not safe to
take the imagery of one parable over
into another. The reference seems
rather to be to Eek. 1928, "a. where
the birds represent the nations. But
another growth is taking place, sleav-
e." Tor yeast, the product of putre-
Iactlon) within. Leaven is every
wnere in the Bible a type Of corrup-
tlon. we have an inspired interpre-
tat1on OF this parable in 1 Cor. $40.
Z; Gal; 5:8. 9. The woman, the apos-
tate church, mixed ''the leaven' of
raise doctrine Matt. 1876, 12) into
the ~ch1ldren's bread and the whole,
doctrine and life of the church was
leavened. History fulfilled this pre-
diction.
IL. Finding Without Seeking. ~.
IN This parable the great value of the
kingdom is brought out, it is a treas
ure hidden from the eyes of men.
Jesus spoke the words in a land where
treasure was often hidden for security
and sometimes found by accident.
q man in this case stumbled ON the
treasure without seeking for it. He
represents the man who stumbles on
the Gospel truth entirely without his
seeking. The fact that the field
represents the world in the parable Of
the tares does not necessitate our in
terpret1ng 1t as the world in this par
able. In verse "A the treasure repre-
sents one thing and in verse 81 some
thing entirely different. The man
had to sell all that he had to get the
held and the treasure it contained.
and we must give up all if we would
gain Christ and the treasure that is
in Him (Lu. 14:33). What the man
sold and gave up was little indeed
IN comparison with what he got,
and what we sell or give up to
gain Christ is little indeed in
comparison with what we get (Phil.
3:7, 81. 1t is not likely that this
man, after he got his treasure, talked
much Of the sacrifice. he had made in
order to acquire it. It is the constant
teaching of the Bible that salvation is
a tree gift (Eph. 2:S; Rom. 6:23),
but there is a n in which grace is
bought" Elsa. 55:1; Rev. 3:8; Prov.
2S:23; Matt. 1850, 1O), there are
sacrifices that must be made if we are
to obtain eternal life. Jesus sought
q treasure in us in this world and
gave up that He had in order to gain
it e Cor. $40; 1920.
III. Seeking and Finding. As. 40.
There is a similarity between this
parable and the preceding and also a
difference. In the preceding parable
the treasure was found by one not
looking for 1t. In this parable the
one who finds the pearl of great price
is seeking goodly pearls. So there are
those who are earnestly seeking the
truth when they find the kingdom.
Such are represented by this parable
NE Tnh CQ.1C 10 = z o MI
pearls sought were wisdom or truth
in whom all truth is incarnate Ono.
14:6). Jesus is the one Pearl of
Great Price. In verse A the man
bought the field, not for itself, but
for what was in it. In this case the
man bought the pearl for itself. Men
often seek to gain Christ for what
they can get in Him, but we ought to
seek Him for what He is Himself.
The one seeking goodly pearls needed
to be on his guard against imposition,
and SO do we need to be on our guard
In this day when there are so many
false Christs and SO many false sys.
TENS. The man did wisely when he
sold all his other pearls TO gain this
One pearl, and we do wisely when we
part with all other pearls to gain the
one Pearl of Great Price.
w. Gathering Of Every Kind, A.,
!. so. In it's outward manifestation the
kingdom Of heaven at first gathers
of every kind, good fish and bad fish
: The sea into which it is cast is thu
sea Of the nations. The time will
) come when the net will be full ant
; then will come the separation. TIL,
: bad fish represent the wicked (49
CT. 3S). The good fish the righteous
The good fish are gathered into
!, place Of safety. The bad are cas-
J away and burned. The separation
: takes place "at the end Of the age
: The angels will do. the separating
T The furnace Of fire represents the I'll
innate destiny Of the wicked.
: v. Giving Forth the Treasur
> Found, 81, 81. It Is an importan
; question that u Lord puts as H
$ brings to a close the seven parallels
5 He is putting the same question to u
: to-day. There is only n way tina
: we can understand the teaching G
Christ Himself, by the Holy Spirit {
D - - 49, 49, a n