THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS kingdom of God on earth. Israel was chosen as the prophetic, priestly and kingly nation, through whom comes the personal Messiah. The nation and the person act together. Each is called the servant of Jehovah. The Pentateuch prophecies refer to the people. The Messianic Psalms relate to the king, kingdom and priest. Isaiah gives the prophetic, Ezekiel the priestly, and Daniel the kingly aspect. Zechariah blends all in one. In the Old Testament Israel has the kingdom in the outward form. In the New Testament the Gen tiles have it in the inward form. In the coming kingdom Jews and Gentiles will have both together. MONDAY, Dec. 6. Matt. 13:44-58. The Worth of the Kingdom. The people of God are regarded as His peculiar treasure, purchased at a great price and unspeakably dear unto Him. The universe is His property by virtue of its creation. In this sense He is the Saviour and Preserver of all men but especially of those that believe. The Lord knoweth them that are His. The treasure is diverse from and hid den in the field where it is found. In the case of the pearl, it represents the unity, purity and value of God’s people in the purpose of God and the estimate of Christ. The pearl is not an original creation but a product of disease. A small particle of silica gets into the shell of an oyster and becomes a source of irritation. The oyster sets to work to encrust the irritating substance with a coating of carbonate of lime secreted from the waters of the ocean and the result is a pearl. Christ is the seeking merchantman. The worth of redeemed humanity is seen in the estimate which the Lord Jesus sets upon it, even the price of His own heart’s blood. TUESDAY, Dec. 7. Mark 4:26-32. Gradual Growth. This may be called a parable of en couragement and considered a comple ment to the parable of the sower which from one point of view was a parable of’ discouragement. There were three cases of failure to one case of success. Here is a secret, orderly and mysteri ous growth of the seed and the fruit bearing power of the earth. It assures us that seed we have sown and perhaps forgotten may issue aj. last in the full corn in the ear. ■This parable is the New Testament counterpart of Isaiah 55:10-11. There are limitations to all
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that man can do. He can sow the seed and preach the Word. The matter of fruitage and harvest must be left with God. Paul may plant and Apollos wa ter, but God gives the increase. Zech. 4:6. This should relieve us of undue anxiety concerning our labors. We must see to it that it is good seed that we sow, we must declare the Gospel in all earnestness and sincerity and then in all humility and thankfulness, we can leave results with God. WEDNESDAY, Dec. 8. Horn. 14:13-19. The Spiritual Kingdom. There are two different phrases for the kingdom in the New Testament which do not seem to be synonymous. There is the “kingdom of heaven” as used by Matthew, and the “kingdom of God” as used elsewhere. There are a few passages where the two phrases might be used interchangeably, without changing the meaning, but usually the kingdom of heaven seems to indicate the outward administration of Divine rule in the earth, while the kingdom of God has reference to the inward and spirit ual condition of that rule in the soul of man. The former may mean the do main over which the sovereignty exists. The latter may mean the actual do minion acknowledged and enjoyed. When we say “Thy kingdom come” we virtually pledge ourselves to do every thing in our power for its advancement and extension. THURSDAY, Dec. 9. John 18:33-38. The Kingdom of Truth. The church is included in the king dom as one of its mysteries and is called the pillar and ground of the truth.” 1 W m ’rhe church is not the custodian of all truth. It does not con cern itself with scientific truth. It bears witness only to moral and spiritual truth, that is, the truth of Divine revela- relating to human redemption. With reference to the truth the church has a three-fold function to discharge, viz.: to criticise, to dogmatize, and to evangelize. Criticism discovers truth, dogmatism formulates it, and evangel ism propagates it. Without criticism there is no discovery. Without dog matism there is no conservation, with out evangelism there is no communica tion. The church is bound to discover what the truth is, to discriminate and to defend it from error, and to publish it abroad to all men and under all cir cumstances.
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