The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-01-04
THE TEMPLE BEGUN.
LESSON II, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. 8.

Text Oh the Lesson, Ezra III, 1-13-mem-
DRY Verses, 10. II-GOIden Text, Ezra
iii, 11-Commeatsry by the Rev. ID. III.
stearns-
We need to bear in mind that the kew
to this book seems to be THE House of
the Lord, mentioned fifty times. The sec
ond chapter gives the numbering of the
nearly 1000 who at this time returned
to Jerusalem. Verses 81. 90 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, 15). Verses 6s, 60 tell of those
who offered freely after their ability. and
is suggestive of Math. X, s; Acts Xxx, IS; ii
Cor. viii. H.
l. The people gathered themselves to-
gether as one man to Jerusalem" When
in after years the church, which is the
tenn lie of God, began to be built at Pente-
cost, it is said, They were all with one
accord in one place" (Acts ii, u.
2. 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. xvii, IL;
Heb. tx, %, as proofs of the necessity of the
shedding blood. As to the affairs, see Gen.
viii, 20; xii, Z, s; xiii, 4. Is 1t is el ident
from this verse that these people had no
doubt as to who wrote Pentateuch. 1t will
be well for US to be like them.
8. 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
Qev. i, 4; Gen. viii, 20; job i, 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 q 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.
3. And of every one that willingly of
fered a freewill offering unto the Lord"
The Importance and the necessity of will
ing offering is seen in connection with the
building of the tabernacle and temple eek
XIV, .; Xxxv, ). p, %, 90; | Chron. xxx,
6, 8, ~. When any one brought a burnt
Offering he was to offer it of his own vol
untary will (Lev i, 81. 1t is written of
Jesus that He said, MY meet is to do the
viii Of Him that sent Ne, and to finish His
work John ", 80 As to His life he said
Il lay it down of myself John x, 49,. As
to Us it is written, ''Whosoever will, . If
any man will REV. xxi, IL; John vii, ~
6. From the first day of the seventh
month began they TO offer burnt offerings
unto the Lord" The outward aud 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 Eek. xii, |. o.
Z. "SasOus, 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 lews and Geatiles take part in
providing the material.
s. ITO set forward the work Of the house
of the Lord IL was for this they came
TO Jerusalera. and now it is the second
month of the second year, at least seyen
months after their arrival. How slow we
ar in lac Lords work. 1t would take
time TO get cedar from Lebanon, but that
was not needed for the foundation, and
some OF Us are tried by slow people, but
think Of the patience Of the Lord-over
100 wears since lie left the command to
preach the Gospel TO every creature, and
hundreds u millions still in heather dark
ness II Thess i'll, s. margiul
2 To set forward the workmen in the
house Of Sod" The work will not 20 for
ward without tie workmen. When God
created the world He spake and it was
done. but in the redemption of Israel,
and in the gathering out Of the church,
while the power is all His, He sees Git TO
manifest that power through human in
struments He asks, WHO will go for
u.s." and yet when we go 1T is God who
wOrketh' lisa. vi, 8; Phil ii, lS).
TO- ITO praise the Lord after the ordi-
nance of David, king of israel" This the
priests and Levites were TO do with trum-
pets anu cymbals as the builders laid the
foundation of the temple. When the
foundations Of the earth were laid the
morning stars sang together. and all the
sons of God shouted for JOY Dob xviii,
40 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem
the angels sang. &c lory to God in the high
lest" duke ii, 10, l4). When the headstOne
of all the work is brought forth it shall be
with shoutings, crying Grace. Grace unto
it (Zech. iv, q.
IL. And they sang together by course,
and all the people shouted with a great
shout" All in order, and yet most heartily.
God is not the author of confusion, and He
will have all things done decently and in
order q Cor xiv, 80, 49, Neither is He the
author of half hearted work or negligent
work. See Jer. H. 10, margin; Isa. xii, 6.
Cursed be he that doeth the work OF the
Lord negligently. Cry out and shout,
thou inhabitant of Zion, for great is the
Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee. "
y MANY wept with loud voice, and
many shouted aloud for joy" Those who
were old men and had seen the glory of
the former house wept as they thought Of
it and now beheld the desolation. while
others shouted for joy at the thought of
temple of the Lord being builded. Does
the interest you have in the welfare of the
Lords house make you either laugh or
weep Do you sigh and cry because of the
denominations done in the land, Or is it
nothing to you? (Ezek. tx, 4; Sam. i, ~.
Does the glory 10 be revealed cause you to
rejoice even in tribulation because you
are partaker of that glory, and therefore
perfectly willing to be a partaker of His
sufferiugs (Ron. viii, is; | Pet. iv, 49,,
13. The people could not discern the
noise of the shout of JOY from the noise Of
weeping" There shall be no such mix
ture in the new Jerusalem, nor in the