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men of religious guidance and a holy example. Like the inhabitants of
the antediluvian world, they followed out every imagination of their
evil hearts. Thus they made sacred things appear a farce, saying, “The
temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, are these” (
Jeremiah 7:4
),
while at the same time they were misrepresenting God’s character,
dishonoring His name, and polluting His sanctuary.
The husbandmen who had been placed in charge of the Lord’s
vineyard were untrue to their trust. The priests and teachers were not
faithful instructors of the people. They did not keep before them the
goodness and mercy of God and His claim to their love and service.
These husbandmen sought their own glory. They desired to appropriate
the fruits of the vineyard. It was their study to attract attention and
homage to themselves.
The guilt of these leaders in Israel was not like the guilt of the
ordinary sinner. These men stood under the most solemn obligation to
God. They had pledged themselves to teach a “Thus saith the Lord”
and to bring strict obedience into their practical life. Instead of doing
this they were perverting the Scriptures. They laid heavy burdens
upon men, enforcing ceremonies that reached to every step in life.
The people lived in continual unrest, for they could not fulfill the
requirements laid down by the rabbis. As they saw the impossibility
of keeping man-made commandments, they became careless in regard
to the commandments of God.
The Lord had instructed His people that He was the owner of the
vineyard, and that all their possessions were given them in trust to be
used for Him. But the priests and teachers did not perform the work of
their sacred office as if they were handling the property of God. They
were systematically robbing Him of the means and facilities entrusted
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to them for the advancement of His work. Their covetousness and
greed caused them to be despised even by the heathen. Thus the
Gentile world was given occasion to misinterpret the character of God
and the laws of His kingdom.
With a father’s heart, God bore with His people. He pleaded with
them by mercies given and mercies withdrawn. Patiently He set their
sins before them, and in forbearance waited for their acknowledgment.
Prophets and messengers were sent to urge God’s claim upon the
husbandmen; but instead of being welcomed, they were treated as
enemies. The husbandmen persecuted and killed them. God sent still