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TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
November, 1939
Points and Problems Verses 20 to 30 of this week’s lesson (Matt. 11:16-30) contain some very val uable lessons on Human Freedom and Divine Sovereignty and the relation of these two truths in the preaching of the gospel. Nothing is clearer than that the Bible teaches that man is responsible for his actions and decisions, but it teaches just as clearly that God is ab solutely sovereign in His ways and choices. Although these two truths are irreconcilable to human reason, we are not at liberty to shade down or explain away either of them. 1. Notice that this account begins with the preaching of the gospel. That is the plain implication of verse 20. Our Lord had preached in these cities. He had done many “mighty works” in con firmation of His message. He had of fered life eternal to all as the free gift of God’s grace. And in doing this, our Lord was no mere docetic play-actor. The' offer He made was bona fide. If men rejected the offer, it was not be cause they were compelled to do so by some inexorable and eternal decree, but only because of their own stubborn re bellion against the grace and mercy of God. Thus we learn that our preaching and teaching should begin, not with pre destination (which is a Biblical truth), but with the free offer of salvation. Logic may put the decrees of God on the spearpoint of oui; theological sys tems, but this is not the Biblical way. Men are not saved by logic, but by the foolishness of preaching the gospel of grace. That belongs first. 2. Notice that the cities in which our Lord preached had made their decision. The record says, “They repented not” (v. 20). And notice furthermore that this decision must have been a free choice, becausé the Lord holds them responsible for it. 3. Notice that after our Lord had made the offer of life, and after men have made their decision to reject it, then He falls back *on the truth of God’s sovereignty. He prays, thanking the Father, who is Lord of heaven and earth, because He had “hid these things from the wise and prudent” and “re vealed them unto babes" (v. 25). Why this should be so, we are not told. “Even so, Father,” Christ continues, “for so it seemed good in thy sight” (v. 26). No other reason is given. Thus we: may learn that after we have borne our testimony, whether men accept or reject, when the work of the day is over, it is likewise our blessed privilege to fall back on the sovereignty of God. If some believe, so much the better, but even then as we look back we must re flectively confess with Paul that "as many as were ordained to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48). But such a re flection belongs to the end of the day, after the offer has been made, after [Continued on Page 430]
be m ore to le r a b le fo r th e la n d o f Sodom in th e d a y o f ju d gm en t, th a n fo r thee* 25 At th a t tim e J e su s a n sw ered and sa id , 1 th a n k th ee , O F a th er, L ord of h ea v en and ea rth , b eca u se th o u h a st hid th e se th in g s from th e w is e and prud en t, and h a st r ev e a le d th em u n to bab es. 26 E v en so, F a th e r; fo r so it seem ed g o o d in th y sig h t. 27 A.U th in g s a re d eliv ered u n to m e o f m y ,F a th e r ; an d no m an k n o w e th th e Son* b u t th e F a tlie r; n e ith er k n o w e th a n y m an th e F a th e r, sa v e th e Son, and H E to w h om so ev er th e Son w ill r ev e a l h im . 2S C om e u n to m e, a ll y e th a t labor and a re h ea v y lad en , an d I 'w ill g iv e y o u rest. 29 T a k e m y y o k e up on y o u , and lea rn o f m e; fo r I am m eek and lo w ly in h ea rt; an d y e sh a ll fin d r e s t u n to y o u r so u ls. 30 'F o r m y y o k e is e a sy , an d m y bu r d en is lig h t. LESSON T fcXT ; M att. lls l6 -3 0 . ' GOLDEN T E X T ; “ C om e u n to m e, a ll y e th a t lab or and a re h e a v y la d en , an d I w ill g iv e y o u rest. *Take m y y o k e up on you , an d lea rn o f m e; fo r I am m eek and lo w ly in h ea rt; and y e s h a ll fin d r e st u n to y o u r so u ls. F o r m y y o k e is e a sy , an d m y burden is lig h t” (M att. 11 ;28-30). DEVOTIONAL R EAD ING ; Isa . 58;7-12. Outline and Exposition I . T he L ord ' s P erson D enied (16-19) B OTH John the Baptist and our was a man of the wilderness, clothed with camel’s hair and eating wild honey and locusts, and they rejected him be cause of his abstinence. They knew he spoke truth, and they knew the truth condemned them, but they would not yield to the truth. To placate their conscience and silence their conviction, they accused John of being demonized. Thus his ministry was rejected by them. Human nature ever seeks an ex cuse when conviction, which should lead to repentance, comes upon it. Not only John the Baptist, but also the One whom he introduced was de nied. Jesus, unlike John, came eating and drinking in the normal manner among men, but they said of Him that. He was a glutton and a winebibber. And, in their fancied superiority and in sane pride, they accused Him of being a friend of publicans and sinners, not respectable enough to associate with the “better classes.” Overlooking His own assertion, that He had come to save sinners, they resented His associa tion with such classes as these. The treatment met by John the Bap tist, who demanded repentance because of the righteousness of God, and then by Jesus, who demanded repentance be cause of the love of God, revealed that the people were set against God in spite of their professions. They refused to be moved either by His holiness or by His grace; whatever God did, through either John or the Lord Jesus, was dis tasteful to them. Hence, in reality they denied the God they claimed to worship. II. T he L ord ' s W ork R ejected (20-24) Christ’s mighty works were exactly those which their prophets had declared
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• when most subscriptions to THE KING’S BUSINESS ex pire. Why not renew now at the amazing LOW RATE? 50c for ONE YEAR in U.S. Two Years for $1 would be the credentials of Messiah. Their prophets’ words had been ful filled in their sight, but they refused the credentials and stood condemned by what their eyes had looked upon. They were worse than the inhabitants of wicked Tyre and Sidon, and worse even than Sodom. Comparatively speaking, Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom had but feeble knowledge of the truth. They had no prophets such as had been sent to these rejectors. Hence it will be more toler able, Christ declared, for them than for these in the day of judgment. In the light of these words of our Lord, who can deny that a day of judg ment is to come, a day in which all the sinners of all the ages will stand? And who can deny that all men of all the ages will once again appear and receive the just recompense and reward of their doings? in. T he L ord ' s G race .C ontinued (25-30) The grace of submission shines forth in the Lord Jesus Christ as He declares that whatever was good in God’s sight was pleasing to Himself. W h a t e v e r providenees came to Him, He could say, “Even so, Father, for so it seemed good »in thy sight” (v. 26), even though the providences appeared to work ill to Himself. This attitude is the more re markable because of His declaration that He alone knows the Father—be cause He is one with God. No one would ever know God if the Son were not pleased to reveal Him. How futile are man’s attempts to find out God by in ventions of intellect and philosophy (cf. 1 Cor. 1:H-14)! The compassion of the Lord Jesus is revealed when He issued His invitation to all who labor and are heavy laden to come to Hiih, promising to give them rest. They were struggling with the impossible task of keeping the law, and He promised to relieve them of that burden by Himself being the fulfillment of the law. His invitation is to ex change the hard yoke and the heavy burden for the ease and soul rest which He offers to all.
Lord were treated contemptu ously; neither of them found favor with the people as a whole. John
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