Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-01-06
THE TEMPLE BEGUN.
LESSON II, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. 8.

Text of the Lesson, Ezra Iii, i-I3-Mem-
ory Verses. 10. iI-GoIden Text. Ezra
iii. II-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
stearns.
We need 20 bear in mind that the key
to this book seems to be 1.-THE House of
the Lord" mentioned fifty times. The sec
ond chapter gives the numbering of the
nearly $4,000 who at this time returned
to Jerusalem. Verses g. 62 tell of some
whose names could not be found on
the register, and they had to be cast out,
suggesting to us the necessity of having
our names in the Book of Life duke X, 20,
Rev. Xxx, l5, Verses 6S, 60 tell of those
who offered freely after their ability, and
is suggestive of Math. X, 8: Acts Xxx. 35; II
Cor. viii, H.
1. 1.-THE people gathered themselves to
gether as one man to Jerusalem" When
in after years the church, which is the
temple of God began to be built at Pente.
cost, it is said, "They were all with one
accord in one place" (Acts Il, y.
9. And builded the altar of the Lord of
Israel" The patriarchs had no building
called temple or tabernacle, but they had
their affairs and offerings, symbols OF atone
ment, for without a sacrifice sinful man
cannot draw near to God See Lev. xviii II;
Heb tx, %, as proofs of the necessity of the
shedding blood. AS to the affairs, see Gen.
viii, 20; xii, Z, 8; xiii, 4, IS. 1t is evident
from this verse that these people had no
doubt us to who wrote Pentateuch. 1t will
be well for us to be like them.
3. And they offered burnt offerings
thereon unto the Lord" This stands first
among all the offerings in the law, and is
the oldest kind mentioned in the Word
Q.ev, i, 4; Gen. viii, 90; job /, 81. Among
the many offerings of Lev. to vii this,
the first seems suggestive of the sacrifice
of Christ as fully meeting all the require
ments of God.
4. They kept also the feast of taber
nacles," The first verse says that it was
in the seventh month that they set up the
altar. BY referring to Lev. xiii, in which is
found full account of all the feasts of the
Lord, it will be seen at verse % and on
ward that in this month there were three
convocations, trumpets, atonement and
tabernacles, beginning on the list, 10th and
18th days of the month.
s. "And of every one that willingly of
fered freewill Offering unto the Lord, "
The mportai ce and the necessity of a will
ing Offering seen in connection with the
building of the tabernacle and temple (EX
XIV, q xxXv, 5, 81, %, 20; | Chron xxx
6, 9, ~. When any one brought burnt
Offering he was to offer it of his own vol
untary will Q4ev. i, 81. 1t is written of
Jesus that He said, "My meet is to do the
will of Him that sent Ne, and to finish His
work John iv, 34). AS to His life he said,
81 lay it down of myself (John X, 1S). As
to us it is written, "Whosoever will, "If
any man will (Rev. XIII II; John vii, ~.
6. From the first day of the seventh
month began they to offer burnt offerings
unto the Lord" The outward and visible
national history of Israel began when they
were redeemed from Egypt by the mighty
power of God and the blood of the passover
lamb lex. xii, l., q
Z. "Masons, carpenters, them of Zidon
and of Tyre, according to the grant OF
Cyrus, king of Persia" Many months
seem to have passed by without any at
tempt to build the temple, but now they
begin and Jews and Gentiles take part in
providing the material.
8. "To set forward the work of the house
of the Lord" 1t was for this they came
to Jerusalem and now it is the secont
month of the second year. at least sever
months after their arrival. How slow w,
time to get cedar from Lebanon, but tha
was not needed for the foundation, anc
verse says the foundation was not laid
Some of us are tried by slow people, bu
think of the patience of the Lord-ove
l,S00 years since He left the command t.
preach the Gospel to every creature, anC
hundreds of millions still in heather dark
ness III Thess. iii, 5, margin).
8. "To set forward the workmen in III,
house of God" The work will not 20 for
ward without the workmen. When Got
created the world He spake and it wa
done, but in the redemption of Israel
and in the gathering out of the church
while the power is all His, He sees fit t.
manifest that power through human in
struments. He asks, "Who will 90 70
us?" and yet when we go lit is God VIII
worketh" lisa. vi, S; Phil ii, l3).
10. $40 praise the Lord after the ordi
nance of David, king of Israel" This til
priests and Levites were to do with trun
pets and cymbals as the builders laid tn
foundation of the temple. When tn
foundations of the earth were laid tn
morning stars sang together, and all tn
sons of God shouted for joy dob xXXviii
4, D. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem
the angels sang, GLORY to God in the high
eSJ'' luke II, Id, ~ men Jhe neauStOn
of all the work is brought forth it shall b
t with shoutings, crying Grace. Grace unit
it Czech iv y,
IL. And they sang together by course
! and all the people shouted with a grea
shout" All in order, and yet most heartily
God is not the author of confusion, and II
! will have all things done decently and i
order Il Cor. xiv, 80, 40), Neither is He tn
author of half hearted work or negligen
work. See Jer. Ii, 10, margin; lisa. xii,
Cursed be he that doeth the work of tn
/. Lord negligently. Cry out and shou
thou inhabitant of Zion, for great is til
Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee"
IL. MANY wept with loud voice, an
many shouted aloud for joy" Those VIII
were old men and had seen the glory
the former house wept as they thought
it and now beheld the desolation. Will
Others shouted for JOY at the thought of
temple of the Lord being buided. Doe
the interest you have in the welfare of til
Lords house make you either laugh {
weep? Do you sigh and cry because of til
denominations done in the land? Or is