The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores, And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and you are tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from there. Then he said, I pray you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house”, and in chapter sixteen and verse twenty-eight of his book Luke wrote how Jesus spoke about the rich man's concern for his, “five brothers” where we read:
For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
The verse reads, “For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, ...” Luke began with the words, “for I have five brethren” or “because, since and on account that I, the rich man, possess five brothers”; “that he may testify unto them” which means “so Lazarus might earnestly attest, solemnly and confirm to the rich man's five brothers”. Luke shared how Jesus said the “rich man” wanted Lazarus to be sent to his “five brothers” to tell them the truth about what happened to them after death.
The verse continues, “... lest they also come into this place of torment.” Luke added the words, “lest they also come” or “or else the rich man's five brothers will even so and indeed appear, arise and come forth” “into this place” which means “to hell where the rich man was now located” “of torment” or “which is racked with torture, torment and acute pains”. Luke shared how Jesus said “the rich man” did not want his “five brothers” to “come” to “hell” where he was located and was a horrible “place of torture, torment and acute pain”.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn why the “rich man” wanted Lazarus to go to his father's house. He wanted his “five brothers” to know about “hell” and the “torment” which was within it. He did not want his brothers to experience what he was enduring. God does not want people to experience “hell” either, and those who are wise will realize Jesus Christ, God's Son, is telling this story so people will listen to the “rich man” and never go where he was located after death. Those who believe in Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord” will be forgiven of their sins and receive “everlasting life” with God in Heaven and will never know the torment, torture and acute pain that is in “hell”.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus said, “Abraham said unto him, they have Moses and the prophets” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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