The Five T's
1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus

Second Timothy was taught by Dr. James Modlish

 

Second Timothy Two (continued)
(THE HUSBANDMAN)

Introduction:

The admonition of the chapter is to "be strong" (vs. 1). Some reasons why we ought to be strong are then given. The first was examined last week, and that is because we are considered by God to be soldiers. The second reason is because we are husbandmen (farmers). In reality there is as much strength needed to farm as there is to fight. Paul had laboured faithfully in God's vineyard as the called Apostle to the Gentiles, but had never lost his love for his Jewish brethren (vs. 10, Rom. 9:1-4). Notice how these verses are filled with Jewish terminology; "Jesus Christ of the seed of David," "the elects sakes," "that they may also obtain the salvation." In the midst of this the Holy Spirit says "the Lord give thee understanding in all things (vs. 7). Anytime a prayerful statement like this appears it's a sure thing that there are some things in the passage that the average person is going to miss. For this reason we shall do a detailed background study on the husbandman as found in the parable that Jesus told in (Matt. 21:33-46). We will examine the parable on a verse by verse study.

(vs. 33) - "A certain householder" - This is obviously God-the-Father in the parable. As usual the Bible defines its own terms. Israel, in the land, (Isa. 5:1-7; Ps. 80:8) is the vineyard. God (the householder), lets out the land of Palestine to the Jewish Pharisees, scribes and elders (vs. 45) to take care of, until the "time of fruit" (See Lk. 13:7). The far country is Heaven, as in the parable of (Lk. 19:12).

(vs. 34,35) - "When the time of the fruit drew near" This is explained in (Gal. 4:4). - "he sent his servants." These are defined in (Rev. 22:9 and Amos 3:7) as "the prophets." Therefore we are not surprised to find prophets pleading with Israel to bring forth fruit, preceding the first coming of the Saviour (Isa. 5:1-7). Sure enough, they beat one ( I Kings 22:24), killed another (Jer. 26:23), and stoned another (2 Chron. 24:21).

(vs. 36) - "Again, he sent other servants more than the first: "...and there they come, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Haggai, Malachi, etc. "and they did unto them likewise" (Matt. 23:34).

(vs. 37) - God deserves "reverence" (Ps. 2:11,12; Heb. 12:28,29). "He sent his son" (Jn. 3:16; 1:10-13).

(vs. 38) - "They said among themselves, This is the heir."

  • The passage has an amazing type in (Gen. 37). Israel sends his firstborn (by Rachel) to see "his brethren" and before Joseph ever came near, "They conspired against him to slay him" (Gen. 37:18).
  • "This is the heir" indicated the husbandmen know the rightful heir when they see him. The chief priest and Pharisees knew the heir. (see 21:45)
  • Notice that "agnosticism" is just a plain, out-and-out, hypocritical lie for WICKEDNESS. The "agnostics" of Christ's audience, who refuse to acknowledge absolute revealed truth, are even called "wicked" by the crowd hearing the parable (21:41) and Jesus does not correct their estimation! An agnostic is a lying fool. No man can be an agnostic and be honest (John 7:17)

(vs. 39) - "And cast him out of the vineyard." This matches (Heb. 13:12,13).

(vs. 40) - "When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh. The reference has immediate and prospective fulfillment on the Second Coming exactly as all the passages up to (Acts 7). Prospectively, it will be the future coming of (Rev. 11:1-15). But immediately the reference deals with the impending destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Historically, Jesus, in the parable, is referring to the Second coming to take over the inheritance (21:44). Spiritually, the passage is teaching a man to receive Jesus, as God's Son, in whom He is dell pleased.

(vs. 41) - "He will miserably destroy those wicked men." Thus in 70 A.D. Titus is responsible for a pillage and sacking that saw 500 Jews crucified outside the city walls on trees. The "other husbandmen" is interpreted in the passage in (vs. 43) (a nation). The church is called a nation in (I Peter 2:9).

(vs. 42) - "Did ye never read in the scriptures?" The quotation which follows is found again in (I Peter 2:1-11) and it is a quotation from (Isa. 28:13-16, Ps. 118:22).

  • "The stone which the builders rejected" contains tremendous historical and doctrinal themes. This is the smiting stone of (Dan. 2), it is the living Rock of (I Cor. 10:1-4), and the stone of (Zech. 3:9). It is the Rock that is rejected by the Popes in favor of the "little rock" (Simon Peter), who of course is the wrong foundation, according to (Deut. 32:31).

(vs. 44) - The verse gives both advents exactly as they appear in (Gen. 3:15 & Gen. 49:11,24). The First Advent causes a man to "fall on the stone," thus it is a "stumbling stone," over which a self-righteous religious person trips (Rom. 9:32-33; I Pet. 2:8).

  • "On whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." The stone does not "fall" on anyone at the First Advent. The Smiting Stone is to come in the near future (Dan. 2:44,45). Further details on the coming, crushing stone (that will smite and bruise and grind till blood comes up to horses' bridles) are found in (Rev. 19; Joel 2; & Isa. 63).
  • Application: God gave Israel a great responsibility to tend a vineyard. They fail and the result has been untold death, heartbreak and misery. What are you doing with the vineyard God has given you?

 

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