The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-09-13
THE SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR SEPTEMBER 10.

Subject: Encouraging the Builders, bag.
H., 1-9-Golden Text: Hsg. H., l.
Memory Verses, 4, 5-Commentary on
the Days Lesson.
I. I'm the seventh month (October), one
and twentieth day." The seventh dnv OF
the feast OF tabernacles. Lev. 23:33-36.
This was "a Thanksgiving festival, and the
,sll to praise aud Thanksgiving In an un-
inished temple might naturally suggest
gloomy and desponding thoughts, especi.
ally after q poor harvest and a depressing
season. This state OF mind was the NOV
ing cause Of Haggai's message o! encour-
agement.
Q. "speak." The message was to the
civil ruler, the ecclesiastical ruler, and the
people:
8. "Who is left among you" It was
,ixty-slx years since Solomon's temple wss
destroyed (B. @. 5S6), and there could have
been quite number present able to de.
scribe its splendor. "How do ye see It
now." They noted five points Of inferlorlty;
In the absence Of (1) the sacred fire; (2) the
5heklnah; (S) the ark and cherubim; (D the
Urlm and Thummim; (5) the spirit ofproph:.
temple with the Messiah more than coun.
terbalanced all these, for He Is the antitype
OF all the five. Gods estimate Of things is
very different from mans. Zech. s:6; COM
pare Sam. 16:7. However low their esti:
mate OF the present temple from its out
ward inferlority, God holds 1t superior.
Zech. 4:10; / Cor. 1:27, %. Besides the rich.
ness Of the sculptures In the former tenn.
pie, everything which admitted OF 1t was
overlaid with gold. The porch that was In
fIont Of the house, twenty cublts broad
(about twelve fest), and .120 cubits high
(about seventy-three feet), was overlatd
within with pure gold; the house glistened
With precious stones. Six hundred talents
Of gold (about S21, 900 ,000) were employed
In OVERLAPPING the Holy Of Holes, sin com.
parlson as nothing" What was the use OF
80 much self.denial, and such hard work,
Tor temple OF so little value? Why not
arst get rich themselves and then build
worthv temple?
4. "Be strong" This threefold e1horta.
tion to the government, priesthood and
people Is the same as was given to the
great Israelite soldier. Josh. lilo. "And
work" Have courage, and then act It out.
Be strengthened by faith, and prove your
faith by your works. Be divlnely inspired,
and then work with inspiration. "For I
am with you" The greatest strength Is to
have Jehovah with US as our strength. Not
10 mans "miSht," but In that OF Gods
Spirit. The chief glory OF the temple Is
not its splendid building, but Gods pres
SQCe. SAltQ Cu6 LOEu Ol nOSlS. 1uo
frequent occurrence OF this expression.
found here six <imes Tvs. 4, 6, Z. 8, 81, is a
feature of the prophecies Of Haggai,
Zecharlah and Malachi. It Is OF the nature
OF an appeal to the power and resources OF
Almighty God, either, as here, to awaken
the confidence, or, as elsewhere, to subdue
The rebellion OF the Jews.
S. II covenanted with you" It was now
long time since the original covenant
with the nation had been made (Ex. 1924,
and the nation had passed through many
phases and fortunes since that tine, and
| these returned exlles might we'll be doubt
ful whether, after all that had come and
gone, they could count themselves heirs to
| the promise made to their foreiathers.
"My spirit remaineth." To inspire you, as
He did the leaders and prophets OF old; to
| work just such wonders for you as He did
! for them. "The word" "My spirit" The
| two reasons for the call to preserving
energy In working for God: l. The cove
nant God had made with them In the past.
2. The abiding OF His Spirit with them In
the present. Fear ye not" Let no dis.
couraging fears have place In your mind
Or weaken your hands.
6. "Yet once, 1t is little while" A sim
gle brief spuce until series OF movements
| Is to begin, which are to end In the advent
! OF the Messiah, "the desire OF all nations" ."
| The shaking OF nations Implies judgments
| OF wrath on the foes Of Gods people, to
| precsde the reign OF the Prlnce OF Peace.
| fn their past history God had shaken the
nations many ytimes-EgyDt, by the plaques
| and overthrow; the nations dwelling In
| Canaan; the Assyrians Is Hezekiah's time;
| the great nations In NebuchadnezGar's 8
time before the Jews were made captives
for their sins, then his empire was shaken,
and Cyrus came to the head, In order that
the people might return; and, again, the
kingdom Of his successors was shaken, so
| that arius might be king and lend his aid
to the rebuilding OF the temple. Soon was
! TO begin again O new ern OF the shaking o.
| the nations as seen In Danleps visions, by
which the redemption Of the world might
| como. The Jews In Haggais time hesita-
ted about going forward with the work,
through dread OF the world-power, Medo-
Persia, Influenced by the craft Of Samaria:
| The prophet assures them that this and all
| other world-powers are to fall before Mes.
| slab, who Is to be associated with the tenn
| pie, therefore they need fear nought. There
| Is scarcely prophecy OF the Old Testa-
| nent which does not to some extent refer
| 20 Christ's second coming.
Z. "Desire Of all nations shall come" l."
: This glorious title OF Christ seems to refer
| 20 Jacobs prophecy (Gen. 49:10); that to
Him shall the gathering Of the people be-.
Balaam, IN the land OF Moab, had spoken
| Of Star that should rise out OF Jacob; and
| Job, In the land OF Uz, spoke OF his living
Eedeemer. There was general expecta-
lion at the time Of Christ's birth, through
out oil the civilized world, that great
Restorer OF the golden age WINS about to ap.
pear. II will 1ll this house with glory. y
As the first temple was filled with the cloud
| of glory, the symbol OF God q Kings Bill.
2 Chron. 514) so this second temple was
llled with the "glory" Of God John 1:14),
yelled In the flesh at Christ's first coming,
when He entered 1t and performed miracles
there, but that glory Is to be revealed at
His second coming. Nal. 81.
8. "Silver. gold Is mine" Ye are dis.
appointed at the absence OF these precious
metals In the alorning OF this temple. az
com pared with the frst temple. l could
adorn this temple with them, but will
adorn 1t with "glory" far more precious.
Scripture saith not: "Great shall be the
beauty or wealth OF this latter house above
the first" but the glory.
Q. "In this place will give peace" An
assurance that amidst the threatened shak.
ing of the nations the people OF God should
be secure, undestroyed by surrounding
,onvulsions. And the house OF God was
preserved during the terrible .onhict be-
tween the Persian and Greek empires.
This place." At Jerusalem where Messiah
made peace through the blood OF His cross.
! Col. 1:2G This peace begins by removal
of the difficulty In the way OF the Just GOD
accepting tue guilty. Isa. 9:6. 7: 53:5.