River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-08-13

JocC GEAR TO the
Christians heart is beautifully depicted.
Pastor Russell preached today from
the text ''Woe unto you, lawyers! for
We have taken away the Key OF
knowledge; We entered not in your
selves, and them that were entering
in we hindered." duke 1852 He
said in part:
In the New Testament the word
lawyer has a very different meaning
from our general usage. 1t applied to
those religious teachers of the Jews
who made special professions Of sane
tity and earnest desire to know Gods
will, as expressed in the Mosaic Law,
and to teach the same to the people.
The corresponding class of today are
designated Doctors of Divinity. Our
text, therefore, with this correction
reads, "WOe unto you, Doctors Of Di-
vinity! for We have taken away the
Key of knowledge; We entered not in
yourselves, and them that were enter
ing in We hindered."
Common People Heard Jesus Gladly.
1t was the custom amongst the Jews
that lessons from the Law and the
Prophets should be read every day in
their SynagogueS. The people were
thus familiar with the letter of the
Divine Law and promises. The ma
jOrity of them were, of course, litter
ate; for educational facilities were not
then what they are now. AS result,
only few claimed to have a knOWl-
edge of the spiritual part of the Law
and the Prophets. These were chiefly
of the literary and wealthy classes.
To these the common people looked for
guidance respecting Gods will and plan.
AS an illustration: When the common
people heard Jesus gladly, they were
unwilling to trust their own judg-
ments, but inquired, "Have any of the
Scribes and Pharisees believed on
Him?' Have the Doctors of the Law,
the Doctors of Divinity, endorsed Hint
They have made a study of these
things, and we would rely more upon
their judgment than upon our own.
But not one of the Scribes and the
Pharisees endorsed Him. and hence
few of the people believed on Him and
became His disciples.
The common people were hungry for
the Message which Jesus brought 1t
is recorded that they said Of Jesus
teachings, "Never man spake like this
man." The nation would have gone
over promptly to Jesus had the Scribes
and the Pharisees, Doctors of the Law,
set the example and given the word.
Moreover, the teachings Of Jesus har
monized the message of the Law and
the Prophets, over which the Scribes
and Pharisees and the Sadducees had
long wrangled and disputed. Had the
Doctors of the Law been as hungry for
the Truth as were the people, undoubt.
eddy all of their differences of inter
probation of the Old Testament Scrip
lures would have been speedily remov,
ed in the light of the then Present
Truth and knowledge of God, which
was shining upon the Bible through
the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Apos
ties being Jehovah's mouthpieces.
The Key of knowledge Buried.
In our text Jesus charged the jew
ish Doctors of Divinity with the re
sponsibility of having taken away the
Key of knowledge. refusing to use 1t
themselves to enter into appreciation
of the great blessings due, and hiding
it from the common people. who trust
ed them implicitly. We charge that
the same thing is true today.
Not only were the Jewish people
typical of Spiritual Israel, and their
Age typical of this Age. and their
Harvest typical of the Harvest, or
closing time, of this Age, but addi-
tionally, now as then, Gods people
perish for lack of knowledge. Hosea
4:6.) Now, as then, the Doctors of Di-
vinity will not use the Key of Knowl-
edge themselves, to enter heartily into
the wonderful privileges and blessings
now due, and additionally they have
buried the Key of knowledge, hiding
it from the people under 2 mass OF
forms and ceremonies.
But Is knowledge Necessary?
In our Lords day the Jewish Doc
tors of Divinity, or Rabbits, contented
themselves with telling the people
what they should do and what they
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