THE DOG.
THE dog in scripture is an animal worthless and unclean, even feeding on corpes, (2 Kings, 9:36) and spoken of in this way as a type of unclean and wicked people.
When one wished to speak of himself in a very humble way, he called himself “a dog.” Mephibosheth, overcome’ by the grace and kindness of David, says, “What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am? 2 Samuel 9:88And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? (2 Samuel 9:8). David had said, “Thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.”
Beautiful picture of the grace of God which takes us up—worthless, unclean even “dead” in sins and gives us a place at His table. God speaks, of His people, Israel, as sheep (clean animals), but the Gentile nations were called dogs, (unclean animals) and such were we, who were once afar off, but are now made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Matt. 15) When Jesus was on earth, a poor Gentile woman came to Him beseeching Him to heal her daughter he was grievously vexed with a devil. he Lord said, “I am not sent but unto he lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she cannot be put off, she no longer calls Him Son of David, but cries “Lord, help me.” But (as though to try her still more deeply) He said, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread and to cast it to dogs.” And she said, “Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Master’s table.” Then Jesus commends her faith and grants her request. She was willing to take a dog’s place, counting on His grace ‘extending even to a dog, and she was not disappointed.
“God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” James 4:66But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (James 4:6). In the last chapter of the last book of the Bible, after getting the blessedness of those-who enter into the heavenly city, we get the words, “Without are dogs,” &c. Oh, it will be dreadful then to have nothing but a dog’s place. He that is unclean will be unclean still.
May every dear one who reads this paper, be willing to take the lowest place now and cast himself on the grace of God, and he will find His grace giving him a place at the King’s table among His children. Yea, he will find that he is one of His children.
ML 09/03/1899