DAILY DEVOT I ONAL S T U D I E S IN THE NEW T E S T AME N T FOR INDIVIDUAL MEDITATION AND FAMILY WORSHIP By R. A. TORREY in....... .............. ... iiiiiiihiii
Sunday, August 1. Mark 11:27-33.
Having put the vineyard into the hands of the husbandmen, the proprietor withdrew from it: arid so God withdraws, in a sense, from direct activity in His kingdom and works through men. Similarly Jesus Christ has withdrawn from the administration of His kingdom and committed it to us (Matt. 25:14, 15; Mark 13:34; Luke 19:12). The absence of the proprietor did not in any wise lessen his ownership of the vineyard nor the responsibility, of the husbandman; and Christ’s absence does not in any way lessen our responsibility to Him. When the time for fruit came the proprietor justly sent to receive the fruits of his vineyard, and so God will demand from each of us the fruits of His vineyard. The servants sent to demand the fruits of the vineyard were the Old Testament prophets (Chron. 36:15, 16; Jer. 25:4). The fruits demanded were repentance, obedience, righteousness and benevolence (2 Kings 17:13; Zech. 7 :8- 10). The servants whom God sends to the present husbandman are his divinely com missioned ministers. The fruits they de mand are the same The husbandmen mis treated the servant? of God. This was his torically true of Israel’s treatment of their prophets, and is conclusive proof that these prophets were not “the product of the Semit ic natural character and genius” but God- inspired and God-commissioned men. It is no wonder that such a people should reject their anointed King when He came. The world uses godly men in the same way to day (2 Tim. 3:12), and thus reveals its hatred to God (John 15:18, 19; 17:14; 7:7; Rom. 8:7). Tuesdayj August 3. Mark 12:6-12. The householder’s last resource was send ing his own and only Son. Jesus in this de-
Mere ecclesiastics are always ready to hinder,anyone who is doing a real work for God unless he has their official endorse ment. It is not enough for them that a man is doing things: they want to know by what authority he does them and who gave him this authority. Jesus instead of an swering the questions of the ecclesiastical authorities convinced them out of their own mouths of their unfitness to decide vital questions. If they could not or would not tell whether the baptism of John was from heaven or from men, they were certainly unfit to judge whether his own authority was from God or man. Again our Lord put his enemies to utter confusion. Monday, August 2. Mark 12:1-5. This parable was spoken to the people (Luke 20:9). The form of the parable was suggested from Old Testament imagery (Ps. 80:8-11; Is. 5:1, 2; Jer. 2:21). In the Old Testament the vineyard is Israel. Here the vineyard is the kingdom of God, which is no longer identified with Israel, but taken away from Israel and given to the Gentiles (Matthew 21:43).' The Householder rep resents God. By his digging the wine press, building the tower, etc., is set forth the truth that God had done everything that needed to be done or could be done (Is. 5: 4). The hedge about the vineyard was the law (Eph. 2:14). God having fully equipped His vineyard, puts it in the hands of men (first of all, Israel), and leaves the care of it to them. The husbandmen represent the people of Israel (Matt. 21:43). Today He commits the charge of it to believers in Christ (1 Peter 4:10). The husbandmen did not own the vineyard, neither do we.
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