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23 - The Lord's Vineyard - Christ's Object Lessons · Sacred Texts Archive

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The Lord's Vineyard, Part one the Jewish Nation. The parable of the two
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sons was followed by the parable of the vineyard. In the one, Christ
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had set before the Jewish teachers the importance of obedience. In the other,
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he pointed to the rich blessings bestowed upon Israel, and in these showed God's
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claim to their obedience. He set before them the glory of God's purpose,
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which through obedience they might have fulfilled. Withdrawing the veil from the future,
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he showed how by failure to fulfill his purpose, the whole nation was forfeiting
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his blessing and bringing ruin upon itself. There was a certain householder, Christ
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said, which planted a vineyard and hedged it round about, and digged a
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wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to
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husbandmen, and went into a far country. A description of this vineyard is
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given by the prophet Isaiah. Now will I sing to my well beloved a
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song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My well beloved hath a vineyard in
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a very fruitful hill. And he fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof,
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and planted it with the choicest vine and built a tower in the midst
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of it, and also made a wine press therein, and he looked that
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it should bring forth grapes. The husbandman chooses a piece of land from the
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wilderness. He fences, clears, and tilS it, and plants it with
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choice vines, expecting a rich harvest. This plot of ground, in its
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superiority to the uncultivated waste, he expects to do him honor by showing the
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results of his care and toil in its cultivation. So God had chosen a
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people from the world to be trained and educated by Christ. The prophet says,
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the vineyards of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and
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the men of Judah his pleasant plant. Upon this people God had bestowed great
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privileges, blessing them richly from his abundant goodness. He looked for them to
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honor him by yielding fruit. They were to reveal the principles of His kingdom
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in the midst of a fall and wicked world. They were to represent the
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character of God as the Lord's vineyard. They were to produce fruit altogether different
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from that of the heathen nations. These idolagious peoples had given themselves up to
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work, wickedness, violence and crime, Greed, oppression, and the most
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corrupt practices were indulged without restraint. Iniquity, degradation, and misery were the
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fruits of the corrupt tree. In marked contrast, was to be the fruit
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born on the vine of God's planting. It was the privilege of the Jewish
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nation to represent the character of God as it had been revealed to Moses.
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In answer to the prayer of Moses, show me Thy glory, the Lord
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promised, I will make all my goodness pass before thee. And the Lord
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passed before him and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,
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long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands,
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forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. This was the fruit that God desired
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from his people. In the purity of their characters, in the holiness of
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their life lives, in their mercy and loving kindness and compassion. They were
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to show that the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul through
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the Jewish nation, it was God's purpose to impart rich blessings to all peoples
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through Israel. The way was to be prepared for the diffusion of his light
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to the whole world. The nations of the world, through following corrupt practices,
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had lost the knowledge of God. Yet in his mercy, God did
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not blot them out of existence. He purposed to give them opportunity for becoming
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acquainted with Him through his church. He designed that the principles revealed through his
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people should be the means of restoring the moral image of God in man.
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It was for the accomplishment of this purpose that God called Abraham out from his
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idolatrous kindred and bade him dwell in the land of Canaan. I will make
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of thee a great nation, he said, And I will bless thee and
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make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing. The descendants of
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Abraham, Jacob and his postility were brought down to Egypt, that in the
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midst of that great and wicked nation they might reveal the principles of God's kingdom.
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The integrity of Joseph and his wonderful work in preserving the lives of the
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whole Egyptian people was a representation of the life of Christ. Moses and many
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others were witnesses for God in bringing forth Israel from Egypt. The Lord again
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manifested his power and his mercy. His wonderful works in their deliverance from bondage,
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and his dealings with them in their travels through the wilderness were not for
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their benefit alone. These were to be as an object lesson to the surrounding
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nations. The Lord revealed himself as a god above all human authority and greatness.
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The signs and wonders he wrought in behalf of his people showed his power
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over nature and over the greatest of those who worshiped nature. God went through
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the proud land of Egypt, as he will go through the earth in the
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last days, with fire and tempest, earthquake and death. The Great I
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Am redeemed his people. He took them out of the land of bondage.
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He led them through the great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents and
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scorpions and drought. He brought them forth water out of the rock of flint,
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and fed them with the corn of heaven. For said Moses, the
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Lord's portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He
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found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness, he
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led him about, He instructed him. He kept him as the apple of
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his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young,
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spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, and beareth them on her wings.
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So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange God
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with him. Thus he brought them unto himself, that they might dwell as
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under the shadow of the Most High. Christ was the leader of the children
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of Israel in their wilderness wanderings. Enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day
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and the pillar of fire by night, he led and guided them. He
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preserved them from the perils of the wilderness. He brought them into the land
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of Promise, And in the sight of all the nations that acknowledged not God,
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he established Israel as his own chosen possession, the Lord's vineyard. To
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this people were committed the oracles of God. They were hedged about by the
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precepts of His law, the everlasting principles of truth, justice, and purity.
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Obedience to these principles was to be their protection, for it would save
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them from destroying themselves by sinful practices. And as the tower in the vineyard
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God placed in the midst of the land his Holy Temple. Christ was their
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instructor, as he had been with them in the wilderness, so he was
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still to be their teacher and guide. In the Tabernacle and the Temple.
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His glory dwelt in the Holy Shechina above the mercy Seat. In their behalf.
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He constantly manifested the riches of his love and patience. God desired to
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make of his people Israel a praise and a glory. Every spiritual advantage was
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given them. God withheld from them nothing favorable to the formation of character that
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would make them representatives of himself. Their obedience to the law of God would
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make the marvels of prosperity before the nations of the world. He who could
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give them wisdom and skill in all cunning work, would continue to be their
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teacher and would ennoble and elevate them through obedience to His laws. If obedient,
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they would be preserved from the diseases that afflicted other nations, and would
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be blessed with vigor of intellect. The glory of God, his majesty and
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power were to be revealed in all their prosperity. They were to be a
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kingdom of priests and princes. God furnished them with every facility for becoming the
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greatest nation on earth in the most definite manner. Christ through Moses had set
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before them God's purpose and had made plain the terms of their prosperity. Thou
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art and holy people, unto the lawd thy God. He said, The
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Lord thy God hath chosen THEE to be a special people unto himself above all
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people that are upon the face of the earth. Know therefore that the Law
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thy God. He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and
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mercy with them that love Him, and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.
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Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which I
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command THEE this day to do them. Wherefore it shall come to pass if
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ye hearken to these judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord thy
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God shall keep unto THEE the covenant and the mercy which he swear unto thy
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fathers. And he will love THEE and bless THEE, and multiply THEE.
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He will also bless the fruit of thy womb and the fruit of thy land,
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thy corn, and thy wine and thine oil, the increase of thy
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kind and the flocks of thy sheep in the land which he swear unto thy
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fathers to give thee Thou shalt be blessed above all people, and the Lord
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will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil
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diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest upon thee. If they would keep his
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commandments, God promised to give them the finest of the wheat and bring them
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honey out of the rock with long life. Would his sae satisfy them and
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show them his salvation. Through disobedience to God, Adam and Eve had lost
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Eden, and because of sin, the whole earth was cursed. But if
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God's people followed his instruction, their land would be restored to fertility and beauty.
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God himself gave them directions in regard to the culture of the soil,
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and they were to co operate with him in its restoration. Thus, the
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whole land under God's control would become an object lesson of spiritual truth, as
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in obedience to his natural laws, the earth should produce its treasures. So
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in obedience to his moral law, the hearts of the people were to reflect
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the attributes of his character. Even the heathen would recognize the superiority of those
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who served and worshiped the Living God. Behold, said Moses, I have
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taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me that
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ye should do so. In the land whither ye go to possess it.
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Keep therefore and do them. For this is your wisdom and your understanding in
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the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say,
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surely, this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what
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nation is there so great? Who hath God so nigh unto them? As
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the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
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And what nation is there so great that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as
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all this law which I set before you this day. The children of Israel
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were to occupy all the territory which God appointed them. Those nations that rejected
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the worship and service of the True God were to be dispossessed. But it
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was God's purpose that by the revelation of his character through Israel, men should
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be drawn unto Him to all the world. The gospel invitation was to be
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given through the teaching of the sacrificial service. Christ was to be uplifted before
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the nations, and all who would look unto him should live. All who,
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like Rayhab the Canaanite, and Ruth the Moabitess, turned from idolatry to
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the worship of the True God, were to unite themselves with his chosen people.
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As the numbers of Israel increased, they were to enlarge their borders until
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their kingdom should embrace the world. God desired to bring all peoples under his
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merciful rule. He desired that the earth should be filled with joy and peace.
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He created man for happiness, and he longs to fill human hearts with
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the peace of heaven. He desires that the families below shall be a symbol
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of the great family above. But Israel did not fulfill God's purpose. The
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Lord declared, I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed.
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How then art thou turned into a degenerate plant of a strange vine.
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Unto me? Israel is an empty vine. He bringeth forth fruit unto himself.
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And now o inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, I
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pray you betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to
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my vineyard that I have not done in it. Wherefore, when I looked
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that should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes. And now go
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to I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will
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take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up. And break
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down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down, and I will
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lay at waste. It shall not be pruned nor digged, but there shall
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come up briars and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they reign
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no rain upon it. For he looked for judgment, but behold oppression for
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righteousness. But behold a cry the Lord had through Moses, set before his
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people the result of unfaithfulness. By refusing to keep his covenant, they would
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cut themselves off from the life of God, and his blessing could not come
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upon them. Beware, said Moses, that thou forget not the Lord thy
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God, in not keeping his commandments and his judgments and his statutes, which
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I command thee this day. Lest when thou hast eaten and artful, and
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hast built goodly houses and dwelt therein, and when thy herds and thy flocks
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multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou
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hast is multiplied, then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the
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Lord thy God, and thou say, in thine heart, my power and
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the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. And it shall be
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if thou do it all, forget the Lord thy God, and walk after
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other gods, and serve them and worship them. I testify against you this
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day that ye shall surely perish, as the nations which the Lord destroyeth before
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your face, So shall ye perish, because ye would not be obedient unto
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the voice of the Lord your God. The warning was not heeded by the
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Jewish people. They forgot God and lost sight of their high privilege as His
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representatives. The blessings they had received brought no blessing to the world. All
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their advantages were appropriated for their own glorification. They robbed God of the service
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he required of them, and they robbed their fellow men of religious guidance.
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In a holy example, Like the inhabitants of the antediluvian world, they followed
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out every imagination of their evil hearts. Thus they made sacred things appear a
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face, saying, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord
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are these, while at the same time they were misrepresenting God's character, dishonoring
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his name, and polluting his sanctuary. The husbandmen who had been placed in
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charge of the Lord's vineyard were untrue to their trust. The priests and teachers
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were not faithful instructors of the people. They did not keep before them the
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goodness and mercy of God and his claim to their love and service. These
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husbandmen sought their own glory. They desired to appropriate the fruits of the vineyard.
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It was their study to attract attention and homage to themselves. The guilt
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of these leaders in Israel was not like the guilt of an ordinary sinner.
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These men stood under the most solemn obligation to God. They had pledged themselves
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to teach thus seth the Lord, and to bring strict obedience into their practical
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life. Instead of doing this, they were perverting the scriptures. They laid
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heavy burdens upon men, enforcing ceremonies that reached to every step in life.
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The people lived in continual unrest, for they could not fulfill them requirements laid
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down by the rabbis. As they saw the impossibility of keeping man made commandments,
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they became careless in regard to the commandments of God. The Lord had
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instructed his people that he was the owner of the vineyard, and that all
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their possessions were given them in trust to be used for him. But the
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priests and teachers did not perform the work of their sacred office as if they
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were handling the property of God. They were systematically robbing him of the means
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and facilities entrusted to them for the advancement of his work. Their covetousness and
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greed caused them to be despised even by the heathen. Thus the gentile world
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was given occasion to misinterpret the character of God and the laws of his kingdom.
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With the father's heart, God bore with his people. He pleaded with
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them by mercies given and mercies withdrawn. Patiently, he set their sins before
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them, and in forbearance, waited for their acknowledgment. Prophets and messengers were
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sent to urge God's claim upon the husbandmen, but instead of being welcomed,
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they were treated as enemies. The husbandmen persecuted and killed them. God sent
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still other messengers, but they received the same treatment as the first, only
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that the husbandmen showed still more determined hatred. As a last resource, God
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sent his son, saying, they will reverence my son. But their resistance
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had made them vindictive, and they said among themselves, this is the heir.
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Come let us kill him and let us seize on his inheritance. We
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shall then be left to enjoy the vineyard and do as we please with the
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fruit. The Jewish rulers did not love God. Therefore they cut themselves away
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from him and rejected all his overtures for a just settlement. Christ, the
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beloved of God, came to assert the claims of the owner to the vineyard,
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but the husbandmen treated him with marked contempt, saying, we will not
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have this man to rule over us. They envied Christ's beauty of character,
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his manner of teaching was far superior to theirs, and they dreaded his success.
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He remonstrated with them, unveiling their hypocrisy and showing them the sure results
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of their course of action. This stirred them to madness. They smarted under
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the rebukes. They could not silence. They hated the high standard of righteousness
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which Christ continually presented. They saw that his teaching was placing them where their
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selfishness would be uncloaked, and they determined to kill him. They hated his
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example of truthfulness and piety, and the elevated spirituality revealed in all he did.
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His whole life was a reproof to their selfishness. And when the final
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test came, the test which meant obedience unto eternal life or disobedience unto eternal
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death, they rejected the Holy One of Israel. When they were asked to
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choose between Christ and Barabbas, they cried out, release unto us Barabis.
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And when Pilot asked, what shall I do then with Jesus, they cried
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fiercely let him be crucified. Shall I crucify your king? Pilot asked,
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And from the priests and rulers came the answer, we have no king but
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Caesar. When Pilot washed his hands, saying I am in a and of
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the blood of this just person, the priests joined with the ignorant mob in
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declaring passionately his blood be on us and on our children. Thus the Jewish
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leaders made their choice. Their decision was registered in the book which John saw
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in the hand of him that sat upon the throne, the book which no
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man could open in all its vindictiveness. This decision will appear before them in
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the day when this book is unsealed by the lion of the tribe of Judah.
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The Jewish people cherished the idea that they were the favorites of Heaven,
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and that they were always to be exalted as the Church of God. They
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were the children of Abraham, they declared, and so firm did the foundation
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of their prosperity seem to them, that they defied Earth and Heaven to dispossess
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them of their rights. But by lives of unfaithfulness, they were preparing for
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the condemnation of Heaven and for separation from God. In the Parable of the
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Vineyard, after Christ had portrayed before the priests their crowning act of wickedness,
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he put to them the question, when the Lord therefore of the Vineyard cometh,
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what will he do unto these husbandmen. The priests had been following the
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narrative with deep interest, and without considering the relation of the subject to themselves,
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they joined with the people in answering he will miserably destroy those wicked men,
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and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him
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the fruits in their seasons. Unwittingly, they had pronounced their own doom.
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Jesus looked upon them, and under his searching gaze they knew that he read
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the secrets of their hearts. His divinity flashed out before them with unmistakable power.
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They saw in the husbandmen a picture of themselves, and they involuntarily exclaimed
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God forbid. Solemnly and regretfully. Christ asked, did ye never read in
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the scriptures the stone which the builders rejected? The same is become the head
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of the corner. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in
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our eyes. Therefore say I unto you, the Kingdom of God shall be
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taken from you and given to a nation, bringing forth the fruits thereof.
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And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, But on whomsoever it
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shall fall, it will grind him to powder. Christ would have averted the
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doom of the Jewish nation if the people had received him, but envy and
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jealousy made them implacable. They determined that they would not receive Jesus of Nazareth
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as the Messiah. They rejected the light of the world, and henceforth their
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lives were surrounded with darkness, as the darkness of midnight. The doom foretold
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came upon the Jewish nation. Their own fierce passions, uncontrolled, wrought their
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ruin. In their blind rage, they destroyed one another. Their rebellious,
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stubborn pride brought upon them the wrath of their Roman conquerors. Jerusalem was destroyed,
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the temple laid in ruins, and its sight plowed like a field.
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The children of Judah perished by the most horrible forms of death. Millions were
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sold to serve as bondmen and heathen lands. As a people, the Jews
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had failed of fulfilling God's purpose, and the Vineyard was taken from them.
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The privileges they had abused, the work they had slighted, were entrusted to
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others. Part two. The Church of today. The parable of the Vineyard
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applies not alone to the Jewish nation. It has a lesson for us.
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The Church in this generation has been endowed by God with great privileges and blessings,
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and he expects corresponding returns. We have been redeemed by a costly ransom.
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Only by the greatness of this ransom can we conceive of its results on
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this earth. The earth whose soil has been moistened by the tears and blood
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of the Son of God are to be brought forth the precious fruits of paradise.
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In the lives of God's people. The truths of his word are to
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reveal their glory and excellence. Through his people. Christ is to manifest his
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character and the principles of his kingdom. Satan seeks to counter work the work
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of God, and he is constantly urging men to accept his principles. He
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represents the chosen people of God as a deluded people. He is an accuser
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of the brethren, and his accusing power is employed against those who work righteous.
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The Lord desires, through his people, to answer Satan's charges by showing
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the results of obedience to rite principles. These principles are to be manifest in
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the individual Christian, in the family, in the church, and in every
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institution established for God's service. All are to be symbols of what can be
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done for the world. They are to be types of the saving power of
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the truths of the Gospel. All are agencies in the fulfillment of God's great
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purpose for the human race. The Jewish leaders looked with pride upon their magnificent
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temple and the imposing rites of their religious service. But justice, mercy,
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and the love of God were lacking. The glory of the temple, the
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splendor of their service could not recommend them to God for that which alone is
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of value in his sight. They did not offer. They did not bring
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him the sacrifice of a humble and contrite spirit. It is when the vital
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principles of the Kingdom of God are lost that ceremonies become multitudinous and extravagant.
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It is when the character building is neglected, when the adornment of the soul
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is lacking, when the simplicity of Godliness is lost, sight of that pride
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and love of display demand magnificent church edifices, splendid adornings, and imposing ceremonials.
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In all this, God is not honored. A fashionable religion that consists
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of ceremonies, pretense, and display is not acceptable to Him. Its services
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call forth no response from the heavenly messengers. The church is very precious in
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God's sight. He values it not for its external advantages, but for the
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sincere piety which distinguishes it from the world. He estimates it according to the
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growth of the members in the knowledge of Christ, according to their progress in
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spiritual experience. Christ hungers to receive from his vineyard the fruit of holiness and
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unselfishness. He looks for the principles of love and goodness. Not all the
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beauty of art can bear comparison with the beauty of temper and character. To
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be rever field in those who are Christ's representatives. It is the atmosphere of
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grace which surrounds the soul of the believer, the Holy Spirit working upon mind
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and heart, that makes him a savor of life unto life, and enables
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God to bless his work. A congregation may be the poorest in the land.
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It may be without the attraction of any outward show. But if the
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members possess the principles of the character of Christ, they will have His joy
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in their souls. Angels will unite with them in their worship. The praise
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and thanksgiving from grateful hearts will ascend to God as a sweet oblation. The
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Lord desires us to make mention of his goodness and tell of his power.
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He is honored by the expression of praise and thanksgiving. He says, whoso
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offereth praise glorifieth me. The people of Israel, as they journey through the
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wilderness, praised God in sacred song. The commandments and promises of the Lord
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were set to music, and all along the journey, these were sung by
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the pilgrim, travelers and and canaan as they met at their sacred feasts.
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God's wonderful works were to be recounted and grateful thanksgiving offered to his name.
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God desired that the whole life of his people should be a life of praise.
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Thus his way was to be made known upon the earth, his saving
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health among all the nations. So it should be now the people of the
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world, the worshiping false gods. They are to be turned from their false
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worship, not by hearing denunciation of their idols, but by beholding something better.
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God's goodness is to be made known. Ye are my witnesses, saith
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the Lord that I am God. The Lord desires us to appreciate the great
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plan of redemption, to realize our high privilege as the children of God,
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and to walk before him in obedience with grateful thanksgiving. He desires us to
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serve him in newness of life, with gladness every day. He longs to
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seek gratitude welling up in our hearts because our names are written in the Lamb's
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book of Life, because we may cast all our care upon him who cares
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for us. He bids us rejoice because we are the heritage of the Lord,
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because the righteousness of Christ is the white robe of his saints, because
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we have the blessed hope of the soon coming of our Savior. To praise
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God in fullness and sincerity of heart is as much a duty as his prayer.
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We are to show to the world and to all the heavenly intelligences that
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we appreciate the wonderful love of God for fallen humanity, and that we are
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expecting larger and yet larger blessings from His infinite fulness. Far more than we
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do. We need to speak of the precious chapters of our experience after a
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special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Our joy in the Lord and our efficiency
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in his service would be greatly increased by recounting His goodness and his wonderful works
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in behalf of his children. These exercises drive back the power of Satan.
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They expel the spirit of murmuring and complaint, and the tempter loses ground.
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They cultivate those attributes of character which will fit the dwellers on earth. For
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the heavenly man, such a testimony will have an influence upon others. No
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more effective means can be employed for winning souls to Christ. We are to
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praise God by tangible service, by doing all in our power to advance the
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glory of his name. God imparts his gifts to us that we also may
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give, and thus make known His character to the world. Under the Jewish
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economy, gifts and offerings formed an essential part of God's worship. The Israelites
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were taught to devote a tithe of all their income to the service of the
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sanctuary. Besides this, they were to bring sin offerings, free will gifts,
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and offerings of gratitude. These were the means for supporting the ministry of
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the Gospel for that time. God expects no less from us than he expected
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from his people anciently. The great work for the salvation of souls must be
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carried forward in the tithe with gifts and offerings. He has made provision for
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this work. Thus he intends that the ministry of the Gospel shall be sustained.
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He claims the tithe as his, and it should ever be regarded as
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a sacred reserve, to be placed in his treasury for the benefit of his
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cause. He asks also for our free will, gifts and offerings of gratitude.
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All are to be devoted to the sending of the Gospel into the uttermost
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parts of the earth. Service to God includes personal ministry. By personal effort,
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we are to cooperate with Him for the saving of the world. Christ's
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commission, go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature
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is spoken to every one of his followers. All who are ordained unto the
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life of Christ are ordained to work for the salvation of their fellow men.
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Their hearts will throb in unison with the heart of Christ. The same longing
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for souls that He has felt will be manifest in them. Not all can
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fill the same place in the work, but there is a place and a
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work for all. In ancient times, Abraham Isaac Jacob, Moses with his
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meekness and wisdom, and Joshua with his varied capabilities were all enlisted in God's
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service. The music of Miriam, the courage and piety of Deborah, the
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filial affection of Ruth, the obedience and faithfulness of Samuel, the stern fidelity
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of Elijah, the softening, subduing influence of Alicia. All were needed.
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So now all upon whom God's blessing has been bestowed are to respond by actual
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service. Every gift is to be employed for the advancement of His kingdom and
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the glory of his name. All who receive Christ as a personal savior are
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to demonstrate the truth of the Gospel and its saving power upon the life.
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God makes no requirement without making provision for its fulfillment. Through the grace of
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Christ, we may accomplish everything that God requires. All the riches of Heaven
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are to be revealed through God's people. Herein is my Father, glorified.
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Christ says that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples.
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God claims the whole earth as his vineyard, though now in the hands of
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the usurper, it belongs to God redemption no less than by creation. It
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is his for the world. Christ's sacrifice was made. God so loved the
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world that he gave his only begotten son. It is through that one gift
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that every other is imparted to men. Daily the whole world receives blessing from
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God. Every drop of rain, every ray of light shared on our unthankful
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race. Every leaf and flower and fruit testifies to God's long forbearance and his
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great love. And what returns are made to the Great Giver. How are
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men treating the claims of God? To whom are the masses of mankind giving
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the service of their lives? They are serving mammon. Wealth position pleasure in
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the world is their aim. Wealth is gained by robbery, not of man
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only, but of God. Men are using His gifts to gratify their selfishness.
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Everything they can grasp is made to minister to their greed and their love
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of selfish pleasure. The sin of the world to day is the sin that
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brought destruction upon Israel. Ingratitude to God, the neglect of opportunities and blessings,
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the selfish appropriation of God's gifts. These were comprised in the sin that
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brought wrath upon Israel. They are bringing ruin upon the world to day.
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The tears which Christ shed upon olivet as he stood overlooking the Chosen City,
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were not for Jerusalem alone. In the fate of Jerusalem, he beheld the
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destruction of the world. If thou hadst known, even thou at least in
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this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace. But now they are
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hid from thine eyes. In this thy day. The day is nearing its
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close. The period of mercy and privilege is well nigh ended. The clouds
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of vengeance are gathering. The rejectors of God's grace are about to be involved
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in swift and irretrievable ruin. Yet the world is asleep. The people know
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not the time of their visitation in this crisis. Where is the church to
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be found? Are its members meeting the claims of God? Are they fulfilling
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his commission and representing His character to the world? Are they urging upon the
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attention of their fellow men? The last merciful message of warning men are in
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peril. Multitudes are perishing, But how few of the professed followers of Christ
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are burdened for these souls. The destiny of a world hangs in the balance.
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But this hardly moves even those who claim to believe the most far reaching
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truth ever given to mortals. There is a lack of that love which led
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Christ to leave his heavenly home and take man's nature, that humanity might touch
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humanity and draw humanity to divinity. There is a stupor a paralysis upon the
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people of God, which prevents them from understanding the duty of the hour.
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When the Israelites entered Canaan, they did not fulfill God's purpose by taking possession
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of the whole land. After making a partial conquest, they settled down to
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enjoy the fruits of their victories. In their unbelief and love of ease,
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they congregated together in the portions already conquered, instead of pushing forward to occupy
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new territory. Thus they began to depart from God. By their failure to
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carry out his purpose, they made it impossible for Him to fulfill to them
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his promise of blessing. Is not the Church of to day doing the same
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thing with the whole world before them in need of the gospel. Professed Christians
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congregate together where they themselves can enjoy gospel privileges. They do not feel the
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necessity of occupying new territory, of carrying the message of Salvation into regions beyond.
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They refuse to fulfill Christ's commission, go ye into all the world and
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preach the Gospel to every creature. Are they less guilty than was the Jewish
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Church? The professed followers of Christ are on trial before the heavenly universe.
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But the coldness of their zeal and the feebleness of their efforts in God's service
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mark them as unfaithful. If what they are doing were the best they could
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do, condemnation would not rest upon them. But were their hearts enlisted in
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the work, they could do much more. They know the world knows that
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they have to a great degree lost the spirit of self denial and cross bearing.
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Many there are against whose names will be found written in the books of
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Heaven, not producers but consumers. By many who bear Christ's name, his
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glory is obscured, his beauty veiled, his honor withheld. There are many
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whose names are on the church books, but who are not under Christ's rule.
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They are not heeding his instruction or doing his work. Therefore they are
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under the control of the enemy. They are doing no positive good. Therefore
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they are doing incalculable harm. Because their influence is not a savor of life
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unto life. It is a savor of death unto death. The Lord says,
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shall I not visit for these things? Because they failed of fulfilling God's
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purpose, The children of Israel were set aside, and God's call was extended
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to other peoples. If these too prove unfaithful, will they not, in
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like manner be rejected. In the parable of the Vineyard, it was the
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husband men whom Christ pronounced guilty. It was they who had refused to return
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to their Lord the fruit of his ground. In the Jewish nation, it
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was the priests and teachers who, by misleading the people, had robbed God
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of the service which he claimed. It was they who turned the nation away
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from Christ. The law of God, unmixed with human tradition, was presented
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by Christ as the great standard of obedience. This aroused the enmity of the
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rabbis. They had set human teaching above God's word and turned the people away
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from his precepts. They would not give up their man made commandments in order
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to obey the requirements of the Word of God. They would not, for
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the truth's sake, sacrifice, the pride of reason, and the praise of
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men When Christ came, presenting to the nation the claims of God, the
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priests and elders denied his right to interpose between them and the people. They
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would not accept his rebukes and warnings, and they set themselves to turn the
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people against him and to compass his destruction for the rejection of Christ. With
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the results it followed, they were responsible. A nation's sin and a nation's
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ruin were due to the religious leaders in our day. Are not the same
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influences at work of the husbandmen of the Lord's vineyard? Are not many following
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in the steps of the Jewish leaders? Are not religious teachers turning men away
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from the plain requirements of the Word of God instead of educating them in obedience
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to God's law? Are they not educating them in transgression from many of the
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pulpits of the churches. The people are taught that the law of God is
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not binding upon them. Human traditions, ordinances, and customs are exalted pride
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and self satisfaction because the gifts of God are fostered, while the claims of
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God are ignored. In setting aside the law of God, men know not
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what they are doing. God's law is the transcript of his character. It
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embodies the principles of His kingdom. He who refuses to accept these principles is
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placing himself outside the channel where God's blessings flow. The glorious possibilities set before
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for Israel could be realized only through obedience to God's commandments. The same elevation
37:05
of character, the same fullness of blessing, blessing on mind and soul and
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body, blessing on house and field, blessing for this life and for the
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life to come, is possible for us only through obedience. In the spiritual
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as in the natural world, obedience to the laws of God is the condition
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of fruit bearing. And when men teach the people to disregard God's commandments,
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they are preventing them from bearing fruit to his glory. They are guilty of
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withholding from the Lord the fruits of his vineyard to us. God's messengers come
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at the bidding of the Master. They come demanding, as did Christ,
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obedience to the word of God. They present his claim to the fruits of
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the vineyard, the fruits of love and humility and self sacrificing service. Like
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the Jewish leaders, are not many of the husbandmen of the vineyard stirred to
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anger. When the claim of God's law is set before the people, do
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not these teachers use their influence in leading men to reject it. Such teachers
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God calls unfaithful servants. The words of God to ancient Israel. Have a
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solemn warning to the Church and its leaders today of Israel. The Lord said,
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I have written to him the great things of my law, but they
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were counted as a strange thing. And to the priests and teachers, he
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declared, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because thou hast rejected
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knowledge, I will also reject thee. Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of
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thy God, I will also forget thy children. Shall the warnings from God
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be passed by unheeded? Shall the opportunities for service be unimproved? Shall the
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world's scorn, the pride of reason, conformity to human customs and traditions hold
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the professed followers of Christ from service to him? Will they reject God's word
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as the Jewish leaders rejected Christ. The result of Israel's sin is before us.
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Will the Church of today take warning? If some of the branches be
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broken off, and thou being a wild olive tree work grafted in among them,
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and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree boast
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Not because of unbelief, they were broken off. And thou standest by faith,
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Be not high minded, but fear, for if God spared not the
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natural branches take heed, lest He also spare not thee end of Chapter twenty three