The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-09-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON xl, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. 10.

Text of the Lesson, Hag. ii, 1-9-Mem-
DRY Verses, 4, 5--GoIden Text, Hag.
ii, documentary Prepared by the
Rev. ID. M. stearns.
copyright, 1899, by D. M. stearns.1
1. In the seventh month, in the one
and twentieth day of the month, came the
word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai
saying" Our last lesson saide~that the
enemies of God and of the Jews caused
the work on the temple to cease till the
second year of Darius, but that then God
raised up Haggai and Zechariah to en-
courage the people to resume the work
(Ez. w "a; V, -. 1t is also written in
Ez. V, 5, that although the enemies again
sought to cause the work to cease the eye
OF their God was upon the Jews, and this
time he did not suffer the enemies to tri-
umph In this short prophecy of 80 verses
the expressions, Thus saith the Lord, or
The word of the Lord came, or their
equivalent, are found 25 times, marvellous
ly emphasizing the truth that this is all
the Lords doing.
2. "Speak now to Zerubbabel, the son
of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to
Joshua the son of Josedach the high
saying 1t was not for Haggai to ask,
How will they receive itS or, What will they
think of me? He had only to preach the
preaching that God babe him (Jonah iii, %
and trust God, who gave him the message
to manage His own affairs. 1t would be
well for all preachers to act thus: Receive
the message from God, deliver it in His
name in the power of the Spirit and be
sure that it will not return to Him void,
but accomplish His pleasure and prosper
In that whereto He sends it lisa. w. ~.
This would give great quietness in service
because of confidence in God lisa. xxx, 10;
xxi, ~.
3. who is left among you that saw
this house in her first glory and how do We
see it now? Is it not in your eyes in COM
parison of it as nothing?" The contrast
between the first temple and the present
condition of things was so great that the
elders who had seen the first house could
not refrain from weeping (Ez. iii, 10,
13). Things did look very discouraging,
and when we look only at what our eyes
see we will be very apt to be either over
much pulled up or cast down. 1t is only
as we see God alone and believe His word,
regardless of feelings or circumstances,
that we can ever be established and not
discouraged (II Chron. Xxx, 20; lisa. vii, 9;
Rom. iv, 1920.
4. Yet now be strong o Zerubbabel,
saith the Lord, and be strong, o Joshua,
son of Josedeeh, the high priest, and be
strong all ye people of the land, saith the
Lord, and work, for am with you, saith
the Lord of Hosts A most remarkable
verse truly Three times saith the Lord
and three times be strong, because of
G he h
which the verse begins takes us to Hab.
iii, II, IS, where we hear the prophet say
ing, Though vines, olives, figs, focks and
herds all fail, yet l will rejoice in the
Lord; or to Ps. lxxiii, 20, 80, where the
writer, though despising himself because
he felt like poor, ignorant beast, said,
Nevertheless, l am continually with Thee;
Thou hast holden me by my right hand
3. According to the word that l cove.
nanted with you when ye came out OF
Egypt, SO My Spirit remaineth among
you; fear ye not" Not our faithfulness,
but His, is the only ground of comfort.
He abideth faithful He cannot deny Him
self (II Tim. ii, 49, David, in his last
hours, found no comfort in himself or in
his life which he had lived, but said, Yet
hath He made with me an everlasting
covenant ordered in all things and sure,
for this is all my salvation and all my de-
sire I'll Sam. xiii, 81 The love of the
Spirit (Rom. XIV, 30) is one of our greatest
comforts, though not spoken of as much
as the love of the Father or the Son.
There is boundless comfort in our Lord S
assurance, Because / live ye shall live
also" (John xiv 19), assuring us that
however weak and unworthy in ourselves
He is our life, His faithfalness our
strength
6. For thus saith the Lord of Hosts,
Yet once, it is a little while, and l win
shake the heavens, and the earth, and the
sea, and the dry land. In verse 81 this
shaking is again mentioned. From Joel
iii, 16, and Heb xii, 20, and their contexts
we conclude that whatever germinant ac-
complishments these words may already
have had the fulfllment of them is yet fu-
ture and associated with the day of the
Lord and the coming of Christ in glory.
think it probable that the "little while"
of this verse was that which He referred
to in John xvi, 1919, but one will say
how could He say little while or quickly
(Rev xxi, T. ~, 2O) when He knew it
would be perhaps 1000 years or more?
According to II Pet. iii, 8, our Lord has
not been gone two days yet, and if He
comes back on the third day that will in
deed be quickly.
T. "And l will shake all nations, and
the desire of all nations shall come, and
will fill this house with glory saith the
Lord of Hosts. We know that our Lord
came to the temple and taught in the tenn
pie when He was here in humiliation, and
the disciples lat least three of them) beheld
His glory John i, 14), but the temple was
not filled with glory, neither did He shake
all nations. But in the day of the Lord S
vengeance and the time of recompense for
the controversy of Zion His Indignation
shall be upon all nations Qsa. xxxiv, ?, 81.
8. ''The silver is mine, and the gold is
mine, saith the Lord of Hosts. They
were not therefore to be perpdexed about
the necessary funds, for He who owns the
silver and the gold had ordered the work
to be done, and He would provide. Even
Darius had been led to decree that of the
kings goods expenses should be given
unto these men and of bullocks rams,
lambs wheat, salt wine and oil, that
which they have need of day by day with
out fail EZRA vi, s, 81. If our first desire
is always the kingdom of God and His
Righteousness, we may be sure shat all the
necessary funds and wherewithal for His
work will certainly be forthcoming as
needed.
g. "The glory of this latter house shall
be greater than of the former, saith the