Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-12-30
FROM BABYLON
ESSON I, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. I.

VERSES, 3, 6-Golden Text, Deut. XXX,
documentary by the Rev. d. NJ.
IStearns.
|. Now in the first year of Cyrus, king
Persia, that the word of the Lord by the
|outh of jeremiah might be fulfilled"
he seventy years of Judah's captivity
ERE ended and the time had come for
e restoration, according to Jer. xxx, 10.
he Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying,
|lrely, as had thought, so shall it come
pass, and as have proposed so shall it
land Elsa. xiv, 24), SO that the believer
lay count every promise of God as good as
Icomplished. In this particular case not
bly, had the restoration been foretold but
e very king who should accomplish it
|id been mentioned by name some 200
bars before (see Isa Xiv, %; xiv, y. 10
hh, John and Jesus had also been men,
oned by name before their birth q Kings
| ii, 9; Luke /, ID, 81, but Cyrus is the only
|entile thus honored.
e. 'Thus saith Cyrus, king of Persia
he Lord God of heaven hath given me
D the kingdoms of the earth" The
edo-Persian was the second worldwide
entile power; the breast and arms of sill
r of Dan. ii, and the bear of Dan.
/. The Most High ruleth in the king
pm of men and giveth it to whomsoever
will Dan iv, ~ and He had for the time
ing given it to Cyrus, who recognized
i'm as the giver, and was ready to do His
easure, even to building house for the
brd at Jerusalem.
B. "Who is there among you of all His
oples His God be with him, and let him
up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah,
d build the house of the Lord God of
eael (He is the Cody, which is in Jerusa-
H." The seventy weeks Of Daniel were
date from the command to rebuild
rusalem dan. tx, "a; Neh. ii, 3-S), but
is command of Cyrus was to rebuild the
nple. We cannot think of Israel as a
ton apart from the temple or tabernacle,
no sooner had God brought them out of
Egypt than He gave command to Moses to
We them build Him sanctuary that lie
light dwell among them CEx. XIV, s..
lille Israel is for the present set aside,
other house is being built, living
(nple made of living stones, with which
have to do (Eph. ii, 1922; Pet. ii, 81
And whosoever remaineth in any
ice where he sojourneth, let the men of
ID" Some would prefer to sojourn in
bylon, but they were to help in all
ings those returning to build the house of
Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem. The
eat topic in this book is 1.-THE house of
Lord" mentioned five times in this
son and at least fifty times in the ten
apters of the book Whether we abide
home or go to the ends of the earth, I'm
8 we are living to complete the church
Christ we are not of much use. If we
mot offer gold or silver we can freely
er ourselves, that Christ may live His
in us QI Cor iv, ~.
"Then rose up the chief of the fathers
the priests with all them whose spirit
ID had raised to go up to build the
nse." Whoever might be willing to go,
pether fathers or priests or people, it
by God making them willing for it is
d who worketh in us both to will and to
of His good pleasure phil. ii, l3). All
can do and all He expects us to do is to
nd wholly over to Him our spirit, soul
body, without any reservation, and He
Il take full possession and glorify Him
t in us. The great popularity of the
rd Jesus was His constant clarifying
ID.
B. And all they that were about them
heightened their hands," Whatever
e we can or cannot do. we can surely
engthen the hands of the workers; if
by silver, gold, goods, beasts or pre-
pus things, we can all offer something
llingly, and ''if there be first a willing
nd it is accepted according to that d
IN hath and not according to that he
tn not" CT Cor. viii, l2); who is there
wever poor or untalented in the estima
IN of others, who cannot give a CHEEKY
prd Of gratitude or sympathy or appre
(tion? and this is often more than silver
gold. Only yield the body to God, and
will not leave you untalented.
"Also Cyrus, the king, brought fortl
vessels of the house Of the Lord
buchadne !. ar had put them in the hous'
his gods Wen he brought them befor,
rusalem QI Kings xiv, 10; II Chron
xvi, y. But God had cared for them
ID the man who dared to ill treat then
Is suddenly slain that same night dan
9, 3O). There are all kinds of vessels il
great house. but Paul teaches .Timoth!
be "a vessel unto honor, sanctified ant
bet for the masters use, and prepared
to every good work" Gil Tim. ii, Ply.
). even those did Cyrus, king of Persia
ing forth and numbered them unit,
eshbazzar, the prince of Judah"
ntile king handing over these treasure
"a Jew is very suggestive incident
ink of Jne queen Of Sheba bringing pres
IS to Solomon, the wise men from the cas-
nging treasures to the child Jesus, an,
fully anticipate the time when tn
alth of the Gentiles shall come to Israel
i the nation and kingdom that will no
we Israel shall perish Elsa. TX, 5-l2
e prince of the house of Judah now sit
the right hand of God the Father. Wha
you bringing to Him for His service?
And this is the number of them
rty charges of gold, a thousand charger
silver, nine and twenty knives" Eve
knives are counted; but what strang
bociation-gold and silver chargers an
ives. Well, they were the Lords prof.
y and belonged to His house, and II
d need of them. We do not relish tn
ltting things" as much as those tina
ng us what we call something goot
the Lord sees the need, and we kno'
ought to know (Rom. viii, 2s).
0. Thirty basons of gold, silver bason
second sort four hundred and ten. an
ler vessels thousand" A good man
argers and basons, but great many We
not named vet all precious to Goo