HOST OF THE MARRIAGE-THE FATHER
Luke 14: 16-23
Lesson #9
(V16) "Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper and bade many:"
(V16) This verse pictures God as a certain man who prepared a great supper and sent out invitations to many guests.
(V17) "And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready."
(V17) The Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19) is a majestic occasion in the near future. Down through the ages the saints have considered this glorious event to be one of the fabulous marvels of the Word of God. Those who leave this earth in the Rapture of the church (I Thess. 4:13-18; I Cor. 15:51-54; Rev. 4:1) will stand at the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of themselves for every work they have done while in their body on this earth (I Cor. 3:9-15; Rom. 14:12; II Cor. 5:10). After the judgment they will go through the straight gate and enter into their mansion built for them by a King with nail holes in His hands. (John 14:1-3).
(V18) "And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused."
(V18) Here the invited guests consented together to reject the wonderful invitation. The first said unto him, "I have purchased a piece of groud, and it's a must that I go and see it." This rejecter valued the piece of ground sight unseen more than the creator of the whole earth. I know people today that value their little shacks sitting on an acre of thorns and thistles more than the mansion that sits on holy ground where the streets are pure gold.
(V19) "And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused."
(V19) This verse reminds me of those faithless church goers who excuse themselves for staying home from church to take care of their animals. True bible faith would at least give the creator the opportunity to take care of his own creation. This too is putting the created before the creator. After a tornado or any kind of violent storm have you ever seen men with wheelbarrows gathering up dead birds? Who raises up and restores to their natural beauty the little lilies of the field that get blown over and flattened by the strong winds? That same One is truly able to take our storm stricken lives and make them beautiful and whole again. All we need is to have faith in God.
(V20) "And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come."
(V20) This verse informs us that the next one asking for excusal is a man that had just married a wife and honestly said that he couldn't come. Sometimes family ties and social relationships obstruct the sinner from receiving the gospel message.
(V21) "So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind."
(V21) So that servant returned to his lord and showed him these things and it made his lord angry. He commanded the servant to take the invitation to the poor, and the maimed, and the halt that are in the streets and lanes of the city. Notice here the command had changed to "bring them in".
(V22) "And the servant said, "Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room."
(V22) The servant replied, "Lord, I have done what you told me to do and there is still room." This and the following verse is telling us that God will not accept anything less than a full house at the glorious Marriage Supper of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
(V23) "And the lord said unto his servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."
(V23) This last verse lets us know that the command is now laced with stout words loaded with great power. He now sends the servant out to the highways and hedges to compel them that dwell there to come in, so His house may be filled.
Supper time was always special at our house. I vividly remember Momma calling from the door of the old home place and saying, "Come on home son, it's supper time." I will always be indebted to my late friend, Governor Jimmie Davis, for memorializing that special time in a song written by Ira F. Stanphill simply titled, "Supper Time".
Dear Reader, We hope and pray that we will see YOU at that great MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB!!
