Lesson 363 - Senior

Memory Verse

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him:  for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready" (Revelation 19:7).

Cross References

 

I The Bride of Christ Like a Virtuous Woman

1. She is trustworthy, [PRO:31:10-12]; [MAT:24:45-47].

2. She is a willing worker, [PRO:31:13-19], [PRO:31:22-25]; [GEN:24:18-20].

3. She helps the needy and is kind, [PRO:31:20], [PRO:31:26]; [PS:112:9]; [JAM:1:27].

4. She is not guilty of idleness or neglect, [PRO:31:21], [PRO:31:27]; [HEB:2:3].

5. The fear of the Lord causes her to bear this praiseworthy fruit, [PRO:31:28-31]; [PS:111:10]; [PRO:22:4]; [ISA:11:2].

II The Parable of the Ten Virgins

1. Ten virgins await the coming of the bridegroom, [MAT:25:1-9].

2. The bridegroom comes and a separation is made, [MAT:25:10-13].

III The Parable of the Talents

1. The talents are distributed and used, [MAT:25:14-18].

2. The lord returns and a separation is made, [MAT:25:19-30].

IV The Message to the Church of Ephesus

1. The church is commended for many things, [REV:2:1-3].

2. Nevertheless she had left her first love, [REV:2:4]. 

Notes

 

The Spotless Bride

The Bride of Christ is described as being a "glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing" [EPH:5:27]). She is a "chaste virgin" [2CO:11:2]), "arrayed in fine linen, clean and white" (Reve-lation 19:8). Sanctification -" purity of heart -" is a virtue she has obtained through the Blood of the One who gave His life for her. She must keep herself unspotted from the world and walk in holiness all the days of her life. How carefully she must walk to be one of those who are "called, and chosen, and faithful" [REV:17:14]). Yet the invitation is open for the "whosoever will" to be the Bride of Christ.

Trustworthiness

Let us consider those who comprise the Bride as the virtuous woman described in [PRO:31:10-31]. She is of rare value with a price far above rubies. What makes her so? "The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her." If He tarries a year, if He tarries ten years, she will not grow tired and weary and begin to flirt with the world and to take on some of the things of the world. No! Her heart is attached to Christ, and He can trust His Bride. She is not affected by the fashions of this world to the extent that she is found with lipstick, bobbed hair, or immodest dress. Let them call her an old fogy or old-fashioned; her heart is fixed on Him.

The Adultery of Worldliness

James saw many who had let the world alienate their affections, and he cried out: "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" [JAM:4:4]). The modern church has committed adultery with the world, but they are not the Bride of Christ.

Sad was the picture during the war when many a man left his wife whom he loved and went away to fight for his country; and while he was gone, another stepped in and won her affections, and he was left to mourn. Many people are doing that with the Son of God. Those who should be true to Christ have let the world slip in and take their affections. They enter into the same amusements as worldly people do. They go to the theatre at night, to the card parties, and to worldly things. Others have become overcharged with business worries and are drunken on the cares of this life, and have let the love of Christ slip out of their heart. Jesus knows the heart that He can trust, and He is trusting His Bride.

Diligence

The Bride of Christ is more than just a virgin, cleansed and decked in fine linen, who sits with folded arms in a delicate manner on a pillow to await the coming of her Lord. She must, like the wise virgins, have that supply of oil in her vessel that is typical of the Holy Spirit. When one receives the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God enters the life to dwell there for the purpose of directing that life, and granting power and boldness to that one in the work of the Lord. Thus the Bride of Christ "worketh willingly with her hands" [PRO:31:13]). She is diligent in the work that God has called her to do.

In the Parable of the Talents Jesus illustrates the necessity of active and faithful service. God supplies the opportunity for service according to our ability to work. No sooner had the talents been bestowed by the loving Heavenly Father than the Bride, motivated by love, began to put them to use. "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness" [PRO:31:27]). At first perhaps her work seems limited to those of her household, but soon "she stretcheth out her hand to the poor" [PRO:31:20]). She discovers a needy family and soon "layeth her hands to the spindle." Making clothes for the children, feeding the hungry mouths, and visiting a sick mother.

As her deeds of love and kindness are known she finds her services more and more in demand. Perhaps she is called upon to visit the hospitals, or tell the story of salvation to those in prison or those who have lost their way on the skid roads of some of our cities.

The Fear of the Lord

She has a deep regard for the reputation of her absent Lord, and these praiseworthy works of righteousness spring from a reverential fear in her heart. She desires that His great name shall be honoured in every detail of her life.

Oil

"She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar." How well the Bride knows that she can-not be sustained on the husks of the world, but in her closet she communes with God and there gains the strength and grace for her many duties, and brings her "food" from afar. Her prayer-life keeps that supply of oil flowing into her vessel so that "her candle goeth not out by night."

No Oil

The importance of keeping the Oil of the Spirit is illustrated by the contrast in the wise and the foolish virgins. The wise entered into the joy of the wedding feast, but what about the foolish? One minister of old described them thus: "Surely the unalleviated darkness of a hopeless exclusion settles down on these sad five, standing, huddled together, at the door, with the extinguished lamps hanging in their despairing hands. The wedding bell has become a funeral knell. They were not enemies of the bridegroom -- they thought themselves his friends. They let time ebb without securing the one thing needful, and the neglect was irremediable."

What was it that made such a vast difference between these two groups? They were all waiting for the bridegroom; they all arose at the cry and trimmed their lamps to go out to meet him. Then five discovered they had neglected to have sufficient oil. Oil is typical of the Spirit of God. They had neglected to maintain the close communion with God that keeps the Spirit dwelling within the soul.

Neglect

The foolish virgins were guilty of spiritual neglect and were thus excluded from the marriage feast. The church at Ephesus had left her first love and was in need of repentance. Its works, labour, and patience were profiting nothing so long as that first love was neglected. The man who had one talent had it taken from him and he was cast into outer darkness because he neglected to put it to use. "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" [HEB:2:3]).

Vision

Some people will do what they are told to do, but fail to see the great need that lies all around them. "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest" [JHN:4:35]). The Bride of Christ sees, in the masses of humanity, God's great harvest field; sin and distress, sickness and poverty, imprisonment and loneliness, are a challenge to her. Her deeds are deeds of mercy, and her works are works of love, and "in her tongue is the law of kindness."

Reward

"Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." What a glorious reward it will be when the King shall say unto her, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" [MAT:25:34]). In that moment the trials of a crowded, busy life will fade from her vision, and her answer will be, "Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? Or thirsty, and gave thee drink?" He will reply: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" [MAT:25:40]). 

Questions

 

1. Who will comprise the Bride of Christ?

2. Name some of the virtues of the Bride.

3. What is the spiritual significance of virginity?

4. What made the difference between the wise and the foolish virgins?

5. What does oil typify in the Scriptures?

6. What is the main lesson to be gleaned from the parable of the virgins?

7. What is a talent?

8. Upon what basis were the talents distributed?

9. What did the lord expect of the servants at his coming?