The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-09-06
THE SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR SEPTEMBER 3.

Subject: Rebuilding the Temple, Ezra
ILL.,, 10 to w., 5-Golden Text: "The
Temple of God is Holy, Which Temple
Ye Are,", Cor. ILL.,, 17-Commen entary.
TO- 1.-THE builders" Joshua and Zerub.
babel as managers, with the people as
during the winter in making preparations
for building the temple, for great labor
must have been required in clearing the
ground for the foundation as we'll as In
providing materials. In little more than
year after they had left Babylon, Zerub
babel and Joshua having appointed the
priests and Levltes to attend to their
courses, laid the foundation. The Joshua
OF Y. is not the high priest OF v. 2, but on.
other--a Levlte mentioned In chapter 2:40s
priests in their apparel" The elegant
and beautiful official robes used by the
priests In their celebrations, especially the
blue and scarlet and purple robes with
gold and gems Of the high priests and
others, described In E1. SO. Priesthood
was On ordinance peculiar to Israel. The
essential idoa OF priest is one who
draws near to God on behalf of others.
Hence the high priest was clad in special
garments called garments for glory and
beauty" that he might be typically what
he was not actually. His dress pointed tc
I. Priest to come-one who would need nc
material garments in which to exercise
His Priesthood. The materials, colors and
fashion OF the garments were all OF di.
vine appointment. Blue is peculiarly
heavenly color In Revelation John sawit
in the second foundation OF the wall OF the
heavenly city. "With trumpets." For
summoning assemblies and joyfu! an.
uouncements. "The Levltes." God chose
the descendants OF Levi for the service OF
His tabernacle and temple. In the will
derness they encamped around 1t as
guardians, and in moving conveyed IT
from place to place. After the building OF
the temple, they had charge OF the gates,
OF the sncred VESSELS, OF the storehouses,
OF the preparation OF the shew-bread and
other offerings, and OF the singing music.
IL. They sang together by course"
Sang alternately, or responsibility; one
party saying, "Tho Lord is good" and the
other responding. "For Hs mercy endureth
forever" The priests, with trumpets, ap
pointed by Moses, aud the Levites, With
cymbals, appointed by David, made up
concert OF praise at the laying OF the
foundation OF tho temple. TO assist the
singing OF that hymn for which our
tongues should never be out OF tune, con,
tnined in Psalms LOG, 107, 1lS and 1856. "All
known only the misery Of having no
temple at all praised the Lord with shouts
Of 10y when thcy saw the foundation luid
for to them this was us life from the dead.
10. "Many. ancient men wept." II
was tho day of small things. Zech. 4:1O.
The new house, in comparison with the old
one, was ''as nothing" Ha2. 23. The
tcmplo was not overlatd with gold az
Solomon's had been, nor surrounded with
such magnificent buildings. The ark, the
tables, the metcy-seat were lost. Nc
visible glory appeared In the holy place
Thoro we're no answers to Urlm and Thum
min. The.e was no ire from heaven.
l3. "Could not discern" This mixture
OF SORROW and JOY is u representation OF
this world; some nre bathing in rivers oil
ioy, while others are drowned In floods oil
tears. TIE prophet Haggai comforted
them by telling them that the glory OF the
latter houss should exceed that OF the for
mer, because the Lord (Jesus Christi Ta'
to come to this temple and fill 1t with His
glory. Hag. 2:1-9.
l. "The udversuries." These were the
SamarItsns and different nations with
which the kings OF Assyrla had psopled the
land OF Israel when they had carried the
original Inhabitants away into captivity.
SEQ v. 3. Doubtless they were enyious oil
tho favor shown them BY Cyrus the King OF
Persia. TIE worst enemies Judah and
BENJAMIN hal were these that said they
vera Jews and we're not. Rev. 3:9.
2. "Let US build with YOU" This people
no doubt were deslrous to partake OF the
privileges granted to the Jews by the king
OF Persia. Hearing that the temple was In
building, they were aware that II woula
be fata! blow to their superstition, and
therefore set themselves to oppose 1t. But
as they had not power to do 1t openly and
by force, they cndeavored to do 1t secretly
and by wiles. They offered their services.
that by this they might pry into thetl
counsels, find some matter OF accusation
against them, and thereby ret rd the
work while they pretended to further 1t
ave seek your God rs ye do" The relis..
ION OF the Samartans WAS mixture ol
idolatry, superstition and Ignorance; far
worss ut this time than It was when oul
Lord Himself declared that they knew
not what thew worshipsd." The Samarl'
tans were neither Israelites by birth. nor
vet trae pro.elytes. "Sincs the days ol
Babylon, B. C. 69O.6S7. H. is the only
Assyrian king who reigned ut Babylon
History tells us that he took large num-
her of people from Palestine to dwell IN
Babylon, and placed large number Oh
Babylonlans in Palestine in their place
Those Assyrian settlers intermarried With
the remnant OF Israelite women, anu theif
descendants, q monyrsl race, went under
tba name Of SaUarltans.
%. "Ye have nothing to do with u.s." We
cannot acknowledge you as worshtpers
OF the true God, and cannot participate
with you In anything that relates to HIS
worship.
4, 5. "Weakenad the hands" This oppo.
sitiou is suppo' ed to have begun sooa
after the foundation was Ia d. During the
remainder OF the reign OF Cyrus, almost
Ave years, they did not openly oppose
work he had commanded, but discouraged
the people aud perhaps intercepted thei:
materials for building; and by briolng
counselors to oppose their application to
the ministers Of Cyrus for supplies or pro.
lection they greatly obstrucred the de-
sign. This would be more easily done, az
it is probable that. Daniel died about this
time. Dan. 6:25-2S. In consequence oil
tho difficulties and Obstacles thus Inter.
posed for a period OF twenty years, the
progress Of the WORK was very slow. Two
views OF the course pursued by zerubbabel
have been taken. First. Many have re.
gurdc1 1t rs q great mistake, piece OF
narrow minded, bigoted folly, which made
enemies OF those who should hnre been
friends, and kindled hatred and Jealousy,
and lowered the moral tone and cooled the
zoa OF tho new colony. On the other hand,
cept the material aid Of q rich and power.
fu people 1t tho risk OF imperllng relis.
tous purity" Thus was great peril
ayorsed. They saved nation, for the
time at any rate. from the .tunger OF hav
INV RI rali ,inD h0rrupfa1