King's Business - 1919-09

THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S detail is lacking. We gain more in the last Adam than we lost in the first. Redemption lifts us to a higher plane than creation found us. The Son of God sees at last of the-travail of His soul and is satisfied. The end for which cre­ ation was undertaken is accomplished and God is all in all. MONDAY, Sept. 8. John 6:37-47. The Way Home. The three parables in the fifteenth chapter of Luke’s Gospel which are commonly called the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost boy might perhaps be more properly termed the parables of the good shep­ herd, the good woman and the good father. They symbolize respectively the attitude and action of the three Per­ sons of the Trinity toward lost man. The faithful shepherd goes after that which is lost until he finds it. He lifts the helpless, bruised and bleeding crea­ ture upon his own shoulders and re­ turns with rejoicing without a thought of punishment for its waywardness to mar the grace of his tireless quest. The woman searches “diligently” for the missing coin because her whole heart is in it. The father waits with hope deferred for the absent boy and when he sees him affar off, forgetful of all else, runs to welcome him, the aged feet being winged by love. The sheep- fold is home to the wayward sheep, the costly necklace from which it fell is home to the missing coin, the father’s house and heart is home to the wan­ dering boy. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way. Where is home and how shall we find the homeward way? - The answer is in one word, Jesus. John 14:6 and 10:1. He is God illustrated, demonstrated, manifested. He is the brightness of the Father’s glory and the expressed image of His person. In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head bodily. God points all inquirers to thé person of our Saviour, saying, “Would you know me? He is my beloved Son. Hear Him. Would you find me? Fol­ low Him.” Whoever looks beyond Him or goes elsewhere for God, either wor­ ships an idol or wanders in darkness forevermore. TUESDAY, Sept. 9. John 14:1-7. The Father’s House. What a mystery is death! All that we know of the other world is told us

866

and redemption are focused, seems to be the centre and seat of Satan’s domin­ ion. When Christ arises to begin the Overthrow of Satan, he begins his con­ quest with this seat of Satanic empire. Christ's second coming is in two stages. The first stage is the coming into the sky to clear the celestial regions of Satan and his hosts. This will expel the adversary to the earth as his last stronghold. Rev. 12:12. In the second stage of Christ’s second coming Satan will be driven out of the earth into the bottomless pit. This illustrates military strategy. A successful conqueror will make straight for the enemy’s capital and drive him out. Then he will proceed to hunt him from the outer parts of his dominion. What rejoicing there will be when the heavens are purged of Satan’s defiling presence and power! SUNDAY, Sept. 7. Rev. 22:1-5. The Consummation. The great drama of redemption por­ trayed in the Bible has an artistic and fitting close.' 'Virtue is vindicated, vil- lainy ts overthrown and punished, while the. heavens and earth rejoice. There aje twelve points of contact and con­ trast between the first and last books » ih, thè Bible. In Genesis the earth is cheated, 1:l.! In Revelation the earth passes awhy, 21:1. In Genesis 1:5 night appears. In Rev. 22:5 night disap­ pears. In Genesis 1:10 the seas are gathered together. In Rev. 21:1 they àté no mère. In Genesis 1:16 the sun and moort' are located. In Rev. 21:23 their light ip dimmed by a greater glory. Genesis 2:8\ ¿hows us the garden home of man. Rev. 21:24 shows us the city home of nations. In Genesis 2:18-23 we have the marriage of the first Adam. In Rev. 19:9 we have the marriage of the second Adam. In Genesis 3:1, Satan makes his first appearance. Rev. 20:10 records his final doom. Genesis 3:6 describes the entrance of sin into the world. Rev. 21:27 indicates its ab­ sence, Genesis 3:16 Strikes the first note of age-long suffering and sorrow. Rev. 21:4 gives its cessation. Genesis 3:17 reveals the imposition of the curse. Rpv. 22:3 assures its abolition. Genesis 3>;19 utters the sentence of death. Rev. 21:4 revokes the sentence forevermore. In Genesis 3:24 man is driven from the tree of life- In Rev. 22:14 he is wel­ comed back and given eternal liberty of access and appropriation. As the cur­ tain falls, the story is complete. No

Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs