Passaic City record., 1893-01-14
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JANUARY 15.
Lesson Text: Encouraging the
People," Haggai ill.,, 1-0-Golden
Text: Psalm cxxvii., L.
Commentary.

The prophecies of Hsggai and Zschariah
should be read in connection with the his
torical books of Ezra and Nehemiah, fol
these prophets were specially commissioned
to encourage the people to reouild the temple
and the city. After the foundation of the
temple was laid, as we learned in last
lesson, enemies hindered the work, and it
ceased until the second year of Darius,
where our present lesson begins (Ez. iv.,
"a.
1. "In the second year of Darius the king,
In the sixth month, in the first day of the
month, came the word of the Lord by
Haggai the prophet" Haggai, ike every
true prophet, was simply the Lords messen-
ger with the Lords message (verse 49,.
2. "Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts,
saying. ibis people say, The time is not
come-the time that the Lords house should
be built" This phrase "speaketh or saith
the Lord of Hosts" is found thirteen times
in this short prophecy and saith the Lordn
is found seven times while the name s'Lord'
in capitals (which is always Jehovah) is
found altogether in the thirty eight verses
OF this prophecy at least thirty-four times.
So we are not to see Haggai, whose name is
mentioned but nine times land that is an
unusual number for SD short prophecy.
but only Jehovah, and Haggai as His
spokesman. Notice that the Lord observes
"
(Ezek. XII. 5. xxxiii., 80; Jer. XII, Is, 19.
3. Then came the Word of the Lord by
Haggal the prophet, saying, The words of
the people are wrong Words" they indica-
ted lack of sympathy with God in His
purposes. The house of the Lord now being
built is the church, which Is His body Heb.
Ill. 6; Pet. IL, 5; Cor. ill.,, O.; Eph. H.,
1929, and there is much indifference to it
on the part of the Lords people as there was
to the temple in the days of Haggai The
Word of the Lord was sent to correct the
people and bring them into sympathy with
God and His purposes. See lisa. viii, 20, r.
V. margin.
4. rs it time for you, o ye, to dwell in
your ceiled houses, and this house lie wasten
They were neglecting the temple, the house
of Jehovah, and attending to their own
houses. The church is a spiritual building
to be gathered out of all Nations and pre-
sented to Christ as His Bride in order that
He may return with her to establish His
Kingdom on earth and fill the earth with
His glory; but the Lord might well say to
the various denominations which make up
the visible church: SIS it time for you to ba
so occupied with your own little company
instead of working earnestly to complete NY
bodyY us it time for you to be spending
hundreds of thousands of dollars upon
church buildings instead of sending the Cos
pei to the heathenw.
5. ssNow, therefore, thus saith the Lord of
Hosts, Consider your ways" Because of the
neglected condition of Ills house He would
have them stop and consider. He would have
them look at things from His standpoint
like Jeremiah when he said ssIs it nothing
to you all We that pass bys Behold and see
Ii there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow
which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord
hath afflicted me in the day of His fierce
anger" liam. l., 12l. When we think of
Jesus waiting and longing for the COM
pletion of His church, that He may come
again for the conversion of His people Israel
and of the world, may we not hear Him saw
ing, us it nothing to you?' Consider your
ways" and see that as the heavens are
higher than the earth, SO are My ways than
your ways lisa. W., 81.
3. IKE have sown much, and bring in lit
tie, ye eat, but ye have not enough
Count the sevenfold disappointment in this
and the ninth verse. and compare lisa. w., 2,
Wherefore do ye spend money for that
which is not bread and your labor for that
which satisfieth not?' Men labor in vain
and spend their strength Tor naught lisa.
Xix, ~ when they are out of harmony with
God; but when God is working in us, though
it may sometimes seem that our lapor is in
vain. it is never really SO. His word may
not accomplish what we please, but it will
what He pieases lisa. w., 1l, and
xv.. 5ol. Wages in bag with holes make
us think OF the treasures on earth which the
Saviour contrasted with the treasure in
heaven luke xiii, 33)
z. THUS saith the Lord of Hosts, Consid.
er your ways" The Holy Spirit never re-
peats neediessly. The fifth verse was in
connection with the deso,ation and neglect
OF the Lords house, but this is in connection
with their own uesoiarion or fruitless toll.
In this AMI the next verse. with verses land
8 OF the next chapter, there is an interesting
sevenIold command Consider. 60 up,
Bring wood, Build the house. Be strong.
Work. Fear mott each part of which we
may well take to ourselves in reference to
our part in completing the church There
will be nothing but failure in our lives as
long as we neglect the Lords work, and
even though one should amass the wealth of
Babylon, In one hour it shalt come to
naught tRev. xviii, ~
8. .'Go up to the mountain, and bring
wood, and build the house, ana l will take
pleasure in il. land will be glorifed, saith the
Lord" We have nothing to do with difficult
obey; results are with God. His pleasure
and His glory are everything. Even Christ
pleased not Himself. and one of His last joy
full testimonies was 81 have glorifed Thee on
the earth" from. xv.. 8, John xvii. a.. Let
us take as our daily notices s.For Thy
Pleasure" "For Jesus Sake" ssGlorify Godh
Rev. iv., II, II Cor. iv., IL; Cor. vi, 20,
and live to build the house.
9. why? saith the Lord of Hosts. Because
of mine house that is waste, and ye run every
man into his own house" If we seek first
the kingdom of God and His Righteousness we
have the promise that all else will be added
tMath. vi, 49,: whereas if we seek first our
own interests there is the probability that
whatever we may accumulate, God will
blow it away or suddenly take us away
from it,
This seems strange place to close the
lesson. trust teachers will go on to con-
slider the threefold assurance OF i, Is; H., 4,
), 8, concerning His presence, His Spirit and
His wealth. Note also thrice 'Be strong,
of chapter H.. and compare Josh. 1, 60; II
Chron. xxxii., z, s; xy., Z: but be warned by
II Chron. xvi. Is, IL. Fail not to note the
great shaking of chapter H., s. Z. and COM
pare Heb. xii, $3.50; <, 35-37 Ere that
great shaking comes the church will be gath
cred in and out OF the storm, and the elect
remnant of Israel will also be safely hidden
Ps. l.. 1-6; lisa. XVI, 1921 Luke xxi, 36;
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