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country” ? What did this young man do with his wealth? Does sin always de stroy the sinner and bring him to poverty ? V. 14. What happened after “he had spent all” ? Does the sinner always soon er or later meet a “famine” ? Which is worse, a famine of bread or a famine of “hearing the words of the Lord” (cf. Amos 8:11)? To what kind of “want” does the sinner eventually come? Does a Christian ever know “want” while he is at home in the Father’s house? May he always have his needs supplied (cf. Phil. 4:19)? V. 15. To whom did the young man join himself? Was it a humiliation for a Jew to become a servant of a Gentile? To what degrading task was he assigned? May there be seen here a possible allusion to the Publicans who had joined them selves to Rome for the collection of trib ute? V. 16. To what extremity did the young man come? . What kind of food was he willing to eat? Was this food given him? Why had his friends deserted him in his extremity? Did the loss of friends bring him to a sense of his folly in leaving home? V. 17. What is meant by the expres sion, “he came to himself” ? Had he been morally insane? Is a life of sin the deepest folly? Did he envy his father’s servants? Why? Was his condition at this time a picture of the sinner who is perishing while in the service of a cruel master ? V. 18. To what decision did he come? Was this an evidence that he had “god ly sorrow” (cf. 2 Cor. 7 :9, 10) ? Did he recognize that he had sinned against both God and his father? Is all wrong doing primarily sin against'God? V. 19. What humble attitude did he assume? Had he been willing to throw away his rights and privileges as a son? Did he deserve to have them back? What position was he ready to request? V. 20. What did he do? To whom did he come? Does this mean that he came back in submission to his father’s will? Had his father been looking, for him? What was the father’s feeling toward him? In what way did the father show his reconciling love? V. 21. What confession did the son make? How did this differ from what he had intended to say (cf. vs. 18, 19) ? Why did he not complete the confession that he had in mind? V. 22. What did the- father say to the servants ? What garments were given to the returning son? Were these the regu lar garb of a servant? V. 23. What was the main reason for the feast? Was it in a special sense a service of thanksgiving ? V. 24. In what sense had the son been dead? In what way was he alive again? In what sense had he been lost? How many rejoiced at his return? Who found fault (cf. vs. 25-32)? Whom does the elder son represent? * * * P ractical P oints 1. A prodigal is one who spurns the love of God, who declares his independa ence of God, and whose controlling mo tive is the gratification of his carnal de sires. These traits constitute him a lost son, although he may never in this life
BLACKBOARD LESSON 30LLY ■aAMINE- ATtttR ORGIVEfl IN EDUCES TAINS T U N S Hiss o f Serpent —S-s-si C O n\ p IAm t V. \-2 hastisement i *- ig orvfessiorx is. were forgotten. 1 servant’s garb, but the most costly robe, reserved for state occasions, was to be his. He was also given the ring, perhaps a signet ring, the emblem of authority. Shoes were put on his feet, that he might be distinguished from the barefooted slaves and known as a free man. V. 23. Bring the fatted calf. A sol emn thanksgiving service this was. Let us eat, and make merry. The father took a prominent place at the feast, for his joy was great. V. 24. Was dead. A picture of the misery of the sinner who is “dead in tres passes and sins.” Was lost. He had been, lost to his father. The “dead” must be born again (John 3:3-6). The “lost” must return home. Began to be merry. There is joy on earth as well as in heaven when a sinner returns. The full mean ing of the parable is not seen apart from a consideration of the rest of the story. In the description of the elder son, the Pharisees and scribes could not but see their own portraits. The Lord Jesus had compassion on returning sinners. These religious leaders looked upon Publicans and sinners with contempt. . L esson Q uestions V. 11. What circumstances brought forth the three parables of this chapter (cf. vs. 1, 2) ? Who is represented in the parable by “a certain man” ? Who are represented by the two sons ? V. 12. What did the younger son ask of his father? What portion of the family inheritance would legally belong to him? Why was he unwilling to wait for the proper time to receive his inheritance? Did the father grant' his request? Why did he give his son what he wished, if he knew it would mean sorrow and loss to him? Does God sometimes permit us to have our own way when we insist up on it, even though it may bring us dis tress (cf. Psa, 106:14, 15)? V. 13. How soon did the young man make plans to leave home? Why did he wish to leave home? Did he not have at home everything that was worth while? To what place did he go? Does every backslider sooner or later reach “a far yor\fi>rn\ityio \\)orld.i5 orw ictiors 17 ✓ orwers iorv 2 0 Apr. /2 AC.//. best robe. Not a
country. For true satisfaction and friend ship he must turn to the children of God. II. Longing for Home (17-19). V. 17. He came to himself. In the far country, he had been “beside himself.” There is nothing so unreasonable and so- insane as a life of sin. When the wan derer begins to think seriously, there is hope for him (cf. Psa. 119:59, 60). How many hired servants. In his father’s house, even the most menial servants were given everything necessary for health and comfort. And I perish. As if to say, “I, a son, who did not appreciate my father’s love and the wisdom of obeying my father’s will, have lost not only a son’s privilege, but also that which is the por tion of servants, and am perishing with hunger.” V. 18. I will arise and go. Having recognized his folly, he came to the de cision that he .would no longer be “beside himself.” His repentance was genuine and sincere. Sinned against heaven. All wrongdoing is sin against God. Every sin affects also our fellow men. True repentance is followed by sincere confes sion of sins-—private sins, to God alone; other sins, to those who have been wronged. V. 19. No more worthy to he called thy son. He had carelessly thrown away a son’s obligations and privileges. Realiz ing how reckless he had been, he humbled himself and acknowledged that he was unworthy to be looked upon as the father’s child. A s one of thy hired servants. The thought is not that he would refuse the place of a son in the home, but that he felt he could never again expect such honor. But as a servant, he would at least have “bread enough and to spare.” III. Returning Home (20-24). V. 20. He arose and came. This marks what we might call his conversion, or his tufning again to the father. It signi fies a complete reversal of his thinking and of the Course of his life. Thereafter he was guided by pure emotions and holy choices. Coming back to the father also meant a submission to the father’s will that he had never before known. His father saiw him. The father had never ceased to love him and to look for his return. Was moved with compassion. The father could trace in his lost son’s face the marks that sin had left. Only a true father’s love could embrace such a profligate. Ran . . . and kissed him. He did not wait until his son had removed from his person the reminders of a mis spent life. The kiss of reconciliation was given before there had been time for any confession. The Greek verb is very significant. Literally, it means “kissed him much.” V. 21. Father, I have sinned. Many have called attention to the fact that the confession made to the father was dif ferent from that which the son had at first determined to make (cf. vs. 18, 19). Go- det says, “The latter was a cry of des pair; but now his distress is over. It is therefore the cry of repentant love.” He must have felt already that he was wel- Comed and restored as a son, and there fore he need not say, “Make me as one of thy hired servants.” V. 22. The father said to his servants. No attention was paid to his son’s con fession of unworthiness, His forgiveness was complete; his past failure and shame
Best Bible Truths I enjoy reading your magazine, T he K ing ’ s B usiness . It is full of the best Bible truths. Its daily meditations are wonderful and very helpful. Every Chris tian should have it. ■—From Clayton, N. J.
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