Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-05-02
6lYTEsfArENT IIr.Esa
NEBRmkTYNy
E1lABERN'ACIf
wv BIBLE. STUDIES.
THE RICH MAN IN HELL.
Luke ii, 2o-26; xvi, ts-a1-May S.

Not alIAth poor are to be blessed and
to inherit the Kingdom of God. etc.
as set forth in this lesson. We are to
notice particularly the setting of the
Masters words He lifted up His eyes
on His disciples. and said. Blessed
are We poor, for yours is tho Kingdom
OF Ged''--.ye shall be filled'-'ypur
reward is great in heaven Undoub-
teddy poverty is u greater aid to dis
ciplesllip than wealth. The cost of
iiscipleship is the surrender of every
earthly ambition 10 follow in Jesus
footsteps.
We must realize that our all. much
or little, is the Lords and that faith
fulness in sacrificing what we have
viii decide whether or not we shall
share His glory.
without Parable Spake Hc Not"
The second part of our lesson is one
of our Lords most striking parallels.
We read that He opened His mouth in
parallels and dark sayings, that.
hearing. they might hear and not un-
derstand.' OF all our Lords para Dles
this one has been most seriously mis-
understood Only u slight investiga-
ton. however, is necessary to demon-
strate that this is a parable-that it
would be unreasonable to consider it
to be 2 statement of literal facts. 1t
would be unreasonable To suppose
that man would be sent, after death,
to torment merely because in the pres
ent life he Jared sumptuously every
day. and wore purple and fine linen.
Nothing whatever is said about the
character of the man, and we are not
permitted to add TO the Word of God.
Tie Rich Man represented class.
Similarly, the poor man must have
symbolized Il class. because no rea-
son is given fer his blessing after
death, except that he was poor, GOV
cred with sores and lay at the rich
mans gate eating his crumbs.
Considered as "A parable, this is one
of the most interesting and helpful of
all our Lords utterances. The Rich
Man represents the Jewish nation,
highly favored of God. The bountiful
table represents the rich promises of
the Law and the Prophets, which
were theirs alone up to the time that
they nationally died to those favors.
Tie Rich Mans purple represents
typical Kingdom.
David and Saul sat upon the throne
of the kingdom of the Lord, and
when the Kingdom vas removed in
the days of Zedekiah the declaration
was made that il would afterward he
restored, with Messiah as King. The
fine lnenp of the Rich Man repre-
scented the justification Which God had
granted to the jew ish nation along
thus far. 1t WAS q typical justiiica-
tion, accomplished through the Law
Covenant and it's sacrifices for Sin
Atoncment administered by typical
priest year by Sear
\ harvesting OF the Jewish people
began with out Lords ministry and
lasted forty years. II ended in the
year A. y. &c. when the Rich Man, as
a haiiGn. died at the hands of Titus
and the Roman army. Nationally, the
itch Man is buried, and will be non
existent until the due time, Wien the
Lords blessing viii return TO the
Jewish pee@pie. as explained by st
Paul In Romans ri. 25-35. But al
though nationally dead, the Jewish
people nave been very much alive
ever since. and have been ostracised
and tormcnted with fiery trials.
Although the nation of the Jews
contains representatives of all the
tribes it is specially represented in
Judah ana Benjamin; and hence these
two tribes constitute the one Rich
Man. The other ten tribes, scattered
Abroad would proportionately rep
resent tile five brethren mentioned
in the parable This thought is con-
frmed hy the statement. They have
Moses and the Prophets. let them hear
them" None but the twelve tribes of
Israel had Moses and the Prophets.
Lazarus in Abraham's Bosom.
Lazarus. the poor outcast, who was
longing for a share of the Rich Mans
favor and privileges, represented a.
certsin class of Genties, such as the
Centurian. whose servant Jesus heal
cd and who had such faith in Jesus
that he said. Il am not worthy that
thou sheuldst come into my house.
hut spetti the word and my servant
shall be healed Jesus declared that
He had not found such faith as that
amongst the Israelites,
OF the same Lazarus class was the
Syro- Phenician woman. who besought
Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus an
swered, cit is not proper that | should
take the childrens bread and give II
to dogs"--the Gentiles-''dogs' being
a familiar name for all outside the
pale of Judaism The woman at once
recognized the application and
answered Yea Lord vet the dogs
eat of the crumbs which fall from the
children's table In answer TO such
faith Jesus granted her the desired
crunb.
Here, them we see the Lazarus class
sin-sick. covered with sores-becaase
not sharers in Israel's yearly sim
atonement sacrifices-hungry, because
all of the promises OF God primarily
belonged 10 Israel-the companions of
dogs. who licked their sores. They
were outside the gate OF Divine favor,