Dail$ Devotional Home Readings Connected with International Sunday School Lessons Bj> FREDERIC W . FARR, D. D.
Israel to God. They said to Moses, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” To Joshua who had begun to doubt their protestations, they replied “Nay, but we will serve the Lord.” Their subsequent history shows how they utterly failed. This is set forth by the Lord in the par able of the two sons. Israel was like the son who said to his father “I go, sir, and went not.” This is also a picture of the Pharisee and the publican. The one who promised obedience and failed to give it was just as disobedient as if he had refused it in the first place. More over he added to his disobedience the guilt of deceiving any who might have overheard him and making them think him a dutiful and obedient son. The greater guilt of hypocrisy should not blind the eyes to the daring impiety and awful wickedness of refusing obedience to every Divine command. FRIDAY, Feb. 4. Matt. 21:33-46. The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen. The parable of the husbandmen is a striking example of a truth relating to Israel which has a typical teaching for our own day, 1 Cor. 10:11. As it fell from the lips of the Lord it referred to the past, present and future of Israel. The history of Israel has its counterpart in the annals of the church. Although the time and circumstances differ, there have been the same unfaithfulness, lack of understanding and heart-wandering from God. There has been the same in termingling with the world, imitating its ways, a few keeping the privileges in tended for all, allowing the place of God to be assumed and the work of God to be usurped by men a '.d refusing to give to God what was his due. There is al ways a tendency among the husband men to keep the fruit for themselves. These were some of the things that led to Israel’s failure and the same causes have produced the weakness of the church today. SATURDAY, Feb. 5. Rom. 14:1-9. The Lordship of Jesus. Perhaps nine out of ten who were asked to give the end and aim of God in sending His Son into the world to die, would reply by saying that it was to save
TUESDAY, Feb. 1. Matt. 21:17-22. The Withered Fig Tree Some miracles have the force of a parable. The miracle of the banned fig tree represents judgment upon hy pocrisy. . Foliage without fruit stands for profession without possession. It is an appendix to the parable of the bar ren fig tree in a vineyard, Luke 13:6-9, which was applied to the Jewish peo ple. This is parable, prophecy and mir acle combined. It brought to the atten tion of the people on the very week of the crucifixion, the great law of respon sibility for privilege and retribution for failure to improve it. From the char acter of the Saviour’s reply to Peter’s expression of surprise at the immediate withering of the tree it seems fair to presume that the miracle was wrought in answer to prayer. Three great les sons may therefore be based upon this incident. It becomes a symbol of the destruction of impenitence, a warning of the peril of hypocrisy and an illus tration of the power of faith. WEDNESDAY, Feb. 2. Matt. 21:23-27. The Authority of the King There was authority in the manner of our Lord’s teaching. It was not cold, dogmatic and austere. It was rather genial, attractive and sympathetic, in striking contrast to the teaching of the scribes. There was authority in the sub ject matter of his discourse. The scribes were commentators. He gave a text for commentators. Instead of burdening and fettering the people with rules and maxims, he laid down great principles of life and action, leaving them to be ap plied. Instead of imposing an outward yoke on stubborn necks, he gave the im pulse of an inward life. Instead of the letter which killeth, he gave them the life-giving Spirit. In its freedom, power and appeal to moral instinct and intui tion, there lay an unquestionable and ir- resistable authority. In this authority we delight and on its mandates we rely. THURSDAY, Feb. 3. Matt. 21:28-32. The Parable of the Two Sons There are many professions of obedi ence recorded in the Old Testament of
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