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First Word
- Reading the scriptures
on Job; I was on the side of his three friends till I studied
further.
- When Joseph
was almost seduced by Potifer’s wife. -
I thought it was Joseph’s fault
until I read some supporting commentaries.
- Here I go again with
the Prodigal Son and I sided with his older brother
till I read more scripture.
- The problem for me in
understanding the Bible is my own personal “made up my mind”
Wayward Sinful Baggage that I bring into the
study.
Setting the Stage
- Well,
there’s this family with the mother and father taking care of
the kids for about 22 years, as they should. They’ve done pretty good in life by
working hard, being frugal and teaching their two boys to work hard too. They sent them both to college and gave
them a new car for graduation. David
the older brother is sober minded, reserved, solid, and austere. - Mike the younger one is carefree,
fun loving, roving, impatient, has just turned 21 and is ready to go out
on his own and make his mark in life.
- Mike is weary of family
constraints and is panting for independence, and seeks to be out of
the range of rebuke or interference in what he wants to do; sadly he will later
find that he will be bound in the cords of his own lust. He distrusts his father’s management of
his life and sports a great conceit for his own self sufficiency. –
When Pride comes, then the fall.
- The
home
is full of love, joy and fellowship, its large and comfortable with a nice
wrap around front porch situated so you can see all the way
down the road and it overlooks the wheat fields where the hired hands
work. – Folks stop by for a spell, just to sit in the porch rockers and
enjoying the breeze with a glass of ice cold Kick-A-Poo Joy Juice.
- Mike’s
charisma
has always made him the “center of attention” and he loves the “spot
light” and tends to hang out with his non-Jewish friends which
gets him even more attention.
- He loves
“Soul Music”
and wants to join a Soul band and get a Grammy award. His older brother David teases him and
says that when he sings “Soul”, it sounds just like he is “hunting” the
note all the time; - says “that dog just won’t hunt”. – Mom and Dad
chuckle, but Mike is not amused and is ready to move on with his life.
- So; Mike doesn’t ask, but demands his
part of his inheritance from his mom and dad. He says that his need for an inheritance
is when he is getting started in life, not when his dad kicks off. - In his mind this is a debt his
mom and dad owe him; not a gift from them. -
- Mike is actually asking
for a favor, because by law, he is not entitled to anything during his
father’s lifetime although the division of the estate before death is not
un-common.
- His mom and dad
ponder the situation and think maybe its best that they should do just
that; divide it all up; hopefully Mike will “get it out of his system”
and settle down.
- NOTE: they divided up the
estate and offered David his portion also, but he left his portion on the
table in the hands of his father. Is the elder David stable or what!
- The Far
Country is
actual not so much a “distance”; but an alienation of the heart; a
distance from God with its land swept with “spiritual famine”.
- Mike
moves to
- Soon the landlord
wants his rent and Mike not only can’t pay the rent, but he also has no
money for food. - His PRIDE delays any thought of returning home and chooses
to stay in voluntary exile in this “distant country”.
- Stage
One
of his preparations for “Change”. - At some point he gets kicked out of
his apartment and his “Fair Weather” non-Jewish friends have too
much going on to take him in; ”nobody gave unto him”; he is in
total neglect and despair. Mike is
BANKRUPT.
- God had given him what
he wanted and included a wasteland of famine to boot.
- He “joined himself”
to a citizen. – He forced himself upon him just to have a place to
stay. In desperation the only job he can find is “unpaid” slopping emphatically
vile, greedy, dirty, noisy hogs. To an Israelite; this is prohibited under
a curse. - This is so degrading that no Jew would even consider it;
- but he did, just to be able to greedily eat the Carob tree pods and husk
which were only fit to be eaten by pigs.
He stole their food at the risk of being beaten.
- NOTE: Those that had
herds of pigs were “cut off” from the rest of society; they could not
worship God in the temple, nor marry even the lowest of the people. They were dirty, rotten, low down,
scumbag sinners; - kind of like Tax Collectors and Samaritans, but
lower.
- Stage
Two
- He is perishing un-pitied - alone in the world - ready to
disappear unmissed.
- Mike starts thinking about his father’s hired
hands eating far better than he does and they have a nice clean place
to stay to boot. - He knows he is “not worthy to be called a son”
and no longer has a part in his Father’s estate; but out of hunger he heads
for home hoping just to be a hired hand in his Fathers house. - YEA
!
- PONDER
THIS
- A hired hand’s tenure was temporary and was considered much less
stable than that of a slave; he was now at the point that he would take “temporary”,
just to get home.
- Getting an early
inheritance and moving out was not a sin; it’s what happened in
- This is where we pick
up the story, and while we will touch on Mike’s decisions, the study is
really not about Mike, but about his brother David, and his reactions to
the HOMECOMING.
- NOTE: The prodigal son is NOT a story of
someone who was lost and has now received salvation. - Mike was the “Fathers Son”, before he left,
after he left and when he returned;
That
never changed. – He was always the FATHER’S SON .
Prov 11:2 – Pride comes
then the fall
2 When pride comes, then comes shame;
But with the humble is wisdom. NKJV
Luke 15:11-19 – The
Prodigal Son
11 "There was a man who had two sons.
12 The younger one said to his father, `Father, give
me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13 "Not long after that, the younger son got
together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered
his wealth in wild living.
14 After he had spent everything, there was a
severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen
of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine (KJV)
16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods
that the pigs were eating, but NO ONE gave him anything.
17 "When he came to his senses, he said, `How
many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to
death!
18 I will set out and go back to my father and say
to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son;
make me like one of your hired men.' - So he got up and went to his father. NIV
Ps 106:13-15 – He gave him
what he wanted – and a wasteland
13 They soon forgot what he had done and did not
wait for his counsel.
14 In the desert they gave in to their craving;
in the wasteland they put God to the test.
15 So he gave them what they asked for, but
sent a wasting disease upon them. NIV
Mike’s Home Coming
- Mike moves through
the five “P’s” – Possessor – Prodigal – Pauper –
Penitent – Pardoned.
- Mike thought that
Atlanta; a bigger city would be just the place to stretch his wings, but
now the grass seemed much greener at home than where he was and he headed
back walking down the old familiar road that he knew so well.
- In the distance he
could see the rockers on the front porch and it looked like his folks were
sitting there and suddenly his Father stood up and looked for a short time
in the far distance, then with quick paced feet of mercy, he rushed down
the steps and ran to greet him
as he haggardly trudged down the road in his shattered broken wretchedness. Dad had been waiting and watching for
him EVERY
- Now Mike’s clothing is
ragged and filthy and he STINKS to high heaven, but his Dad doesn’t
seem to care and hugs him and kisses him sealing his pardon and assuring
his welcome. The Kiss of Reconciliation caused profound confession to
pour forth.
- Mike’s little white dog
leaps up on him as he starts weeping and apologizing to his dad
with the words that he has rehearsed all the way home; but his dad didn’t
seem to hear anything that he has to say as he shouts out to the workers;
“Go get the principal robe and sandals reserved for our special
guest”. Then Dad takes the family “signet
ring” off his finger and places it on Mike’s finger as a constant memorial
of his sonship. Dad has shut his son’s mouth and says
“that’s enough” - “I take you to my heart”.
- The Father was ready
to forgive even before Mike asked.
- NOTE: The robe was ceremonial such as would be
placed on a guest of honor; the ring signified sonship authority
and the sandals were what only a free man would wear, slaves went
barefoot. – The calf had already been “fattened up”, apparently in
wait for just this special HOME COMING occasion, as they did not regularly
eat meat.
- As I sneak into the
picture, I see Mom making a huge WELCOME HOME banner and stringing it
across the front porch and proceeds on to tie yellow ribbons on all the
trees.
- The Father happily
continues to shout; “Get the fatted calf and put it on the Bar-B- Cue;
tonight we are going to celebrate, feast and PARTY”.
MY SON WAS LOST, BUT NOW IS FOUND - SELAH
Luke 15:20 – The Father has been watching for Mike
20 "But while he was still a long way off,
his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his
son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. NIV
Luke 15:21 -24 – Bring some sandals, robe and a ring - Celebrate
21 "The son said to him, `Father, I have
sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your
son.'
22 "But the father said to his servants,
`Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his
finger and sandals on his feet.
23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have
a feast and celebrate.
24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive
again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. NIV
David hears music
- FINALLY we get to what this
Word Study is all about; The Other
Brother.
- With very little
notice; the celebration had quickly erupted into music and dance.
- David
is
returning from working in the fields and hears music coming from the house
and finds out from the hired hands that Mike, his irresponsible brother,
has returned home and all the lights are on and they are throwing him a
party on the front porch.
- David gets a sour
attitude and with deep seeded wrath refuses to go into the
house and complains to whoever will listen that he has worked hard
like a slave on the farm every day and has never disobeyed nor squandered
his Dad’s property and has not received so much as a hamburger or hotdog cookout
for him and his buddies; all Jewish too he might add.
- NOTE: David was the first born and was
entitled to a double portion of the inheritance over that of his
brother. He would receive twice
as much or 2/3rd’s of the estate.
Everything that Mike had walked off from and left was all David’s.
- He dad tries to
console him and tells him, “everything I have is already yours, come
inside and celebrate that your brother; for the most part, was dead and is now alive”. SELAH.
Luke 15:25 -30 – What’s that music and dancing I hear?
25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the
field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 So he called one of the servants and asked him
what was going on. 27`Your brother has come,' he replied, `and your father has
killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28 "The older brother became angry and
refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
29 But he answered his father, `Look! All
these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you
never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours who has
squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened
calf for him!'
NIV
Luke 15:31-32 – Everything
I have is already yours.
31 "`My son,' the father said, `you are
always with me, and everything I have is yours.
32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because
this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"
NIV
The OTHER Brother
- The baggage that I bring into this study is my
unforgiving spirit, my lack of compassion and sensitivity to others. – I often
use myself as a yardstick to measure others righteousness.
- I find myself siding
with David, the older brother, because by nature I am obedient, I follow
the rules, expect it of others, and like to see others get what’s coming
to them if they don’t; and above all not
rewarded. – How about a
razor strap across his tattooed back.
- The elder David had
been the one to see to the comfort of his parents and felt a monopoly on
their favors and love and looked pretty sharply on those that had
transgressed and had not preserved their reputation; like his brother.
- David sees FAVORITISM
with lavishing extravagant favors for his younger prodigal brother; he
never even got a little goat let along the fatted calf; it was an injustice;
he was cheated and was inwardly alienated from his father.
- David was more
willing to think of his brothers SIN than of his REPENTANCE.
- His father entreats him to
please come inside and welcome his brother back. - He gently and loving tells David that he
is “ever with him” and that “every thing that he owns is his”.
- David uses disrespectful
words to his dad like “
- David is foolishly
and fretfully out of fellowship with his father and is disgusted,
offended and angry because his dad received his wayward
brother back. There is no love in David’s spirit; NONE.
- Love does not envy or seek self interests or
keep records of others faults, but is patient, loving, kind and
trusting. – This older brother has only a form of godliness; but no power.
Luke 15:29-30 – Look -
This son of yours
29 But he answered his father, `Look! All
these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you
never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours who has
squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened
calf for him!'
1 Peter 4:8 – Love
overlooks others faults
8 Above all, love each other deeply,
because love covers over a multitude of sins. NIV
1 Cor 13:4-7 – Love keeps
no record of wrong doings.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy,
it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it
is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with
the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres.
Luke 15:4-7 – Rejoice over
one saved lost sheep
4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and
loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go
after the lost sheep until he finds it?
5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it
on his shoulders
6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors
together and says, `Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'
7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more
rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. NIV
2 Tim 3:1-5 – Having a
form of godliness, but no love
1 There will be terrible times in the last days….
People will be lovers of themselves …. without love, unforgiving
5 having a form of godliness but denying
its power. NIV
Un-forgiveness
- It’s up in the air
for discussion if David reconciled himself to his Father or not - Sadly there is no indication of
any restoration of his relationship with his brother or father.
- Un-forgiveness is a curse on our
bodies. It takes a toll on our
health. We can carry a grudge for
years and the other person doesn’t even know it; but our body is eaten up.
- Un-forgiveness hinders
our prayers to the Father and is a curse on our body.
- NOTE; David has now become
in effect a Pharisee. He is righteous in his own eyes.
Luke 18:11 – I thank you I’m not like these sinners
11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself:
`God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers,
adulterers - or even like this tax collector. NIV
Mark 11:25 – Forgive so you may be forgiven
25 And when you stand praying, if you hold
anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may
forgive you your sins."
Acts 8:22-23 – Bitterness
in your hearts is sin
22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to
the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your
heart.
23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and
captive to sin."
13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever
grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave
you.
14 And over all these virtues put on love,
which binds them all together in perfect unity. NIV
Eph 4:32 – Be kind,
compassionate and forgiving.
32 Be kind and compassionate to one
another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. NIV
Matt 6:12 – Forgive as you want God to forgive you
12 Forgive us our debts, AS
we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matt 6:15 – You do not
forgive – Neither will the Father
15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your
Father will not forgive your sins. NIV
Pharisee Brother
- Let’s compare the similarities
of David the older brother to
the Pharisees.
- Both were entreated
– Both murmured and were ignorant to what was going on – They both became angry and jealous
and found fault – Both were self
Righteous and claimed to
keep the commandments and felt justified by their actions – Both
Lacked love, Showed no mercy and tried to hinder others
blessings.
- Unlike the Pharisee (David); the prodigal
son (Mike) knew he was a
sinner and needed to be saved. – I see a picture of myself thinking just like
the Pharisee; something I MUST change.
Luke 15:2 – Both murmured
2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the
law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
NIV
Luke 15:30 – Both were Jealous
30 But when this son of yours who has
squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened
calf for him!'
NIV
Luke 15:30 – Both Lacked love for sinners
30 But when this son of yours who has squandered
your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
NIV
Luke 15:26 – Both ignorant of what was going on
26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what
was going on.
Luke 15:28 - Both became angry
28 "The older brother became angry and
refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. NIV
Luke 15:28 – Both were entreated.
28 "The older brother became angry and
refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. NIV
Luke 15:29 - Both claimed to be justified by their actions
29 But he answered his father, `Look! All these
years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. NIV
Luke 15:28 – Both tried to hinder the blessings
28 "The older brother became angry and refused
to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. NIV
Luke 15:29 – Both Showed no mercy
29 Yet you never gave me even a young goat
so I could celebrate with my friends NIV
Luke 15:30 – Both found fault
30 But when this son of yours who has squandered
your property with prostitutes comes home. NIV
Luke 15:29 – Both claimed to keep the commandments
29 All these years I've been slaving for you and never
disobeyed your orders. NIV
Matt 23:28 – Both were self righteous
28 In the same way, on the outside you
appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy
and wickedness. NIV
Luke 18:10-13 – The Self
Righteous Pharisee speaks
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the
one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with
himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes
of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not
lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God
be merciful to me a sinner. KJV
The Waiting Father
- The story running in
the background
is a tapestry of differences in the concern of the Father and that of the Pharisee
over the salvation of a lost soul.
- Mike was not like a
sheep, incapable of making a moral decision which would have required a
shepherd to go after him. - He was a free moral agent personally
responsible to make his own decisions. – Life is choice driven.
- The Father saw his
son a far off and with compassion ran to meet him and to welcome
him home.
- He fell on his neck
and kissed him; heard his confession and forgave him.
- He put the best robe
and sandals on him and put a ring on his finger signifying his “Sonship”.
- He celebrated with a
feast and did his best to include the older brother.
- The Father remained
constant in his love for BOTH of his sons.
I have come to the
conclusion that the parable of the Prodigal Son
is really about the “Father waiting” for his son. -
COME HOME, its supper
time.
Love is quicker than words.
The father was not waiting to punish Mike; he was
waiting to love up on him.
If there is a message here; it’s when we move away
from God, we must remember that
we were his child before we left, when
we left and when we returned.
That never changed.
We are a Child of God.
John 1:12 – Receive the
right to be a child of God - Believe
12 Yet to all who received him, to those who
believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. NIV
In the multitude of counselors,
there is wisdom.
Prov 11:14
I am grateful for those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical information, and scripture verses. Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further than I otherwise ever could have
A commentary – Critical, Experimental and
Practical – Eerdmans
A Planned Deception – Constance E. Cumbey
All the parables of the Bible – Herbert Lockyer
Annotated
reference Bible - Dake
Antiquity of
the Jews; The – Josephus
Baker Commentary on the Bible – Walter A. Elwell
Bible Almanac; The – Packer, Tenney, White
Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer
Book of Bible Lists – H. L. Willmington
Encountering the Old Testament – Bill T. Arnold, Bryan E. Beyer
Expositors Bible Commentary; The – Frank E. Gaebelein
Gospel of Luke; The – J. Vernon
Harper’s Bible Dictionary – Harper & Row
Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow; The – Constance E. Cumbey
Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale
Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s
Illustrated Encyclopedia of Bible Facts – Packer, Tenney, White
Matthew Henry’s Commentary – Zondervan
Naves Topical Bible - Nelson
New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas, Tenney
Parables of Jesus; The – J. Dwight Pentecost
Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Zondervan
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible – Nelson
Vincent’s Word Studies of the NT – Mac Donald
Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner
Wikipedia Encyclopedia
Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison
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