Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-09-28

The lesson for Oct. Is Psalm 122; its
subject Is "Joy In Gods House."
During the last quarter Of the year we
are to study the post-exilic period-the
century from the rebuilding Of the temple
to Malachi-approximat 52O-420 b. @.
Though some parts Of the Old Testament
were probably written much later than
Malachi's time. his book Is the last whose
date Is approximately fixed by definite
reference to historical data, and there
fore 1t has been customary among many
to think of his prophecy as latest In time,
as 1t 70 the last In order, Of the Old Tes-
lament. The century which we are to
study, embracing the work OF Ezra and
Nehemiah, is one Of the most important
centuries Of the whole time from the ex-
lie to the birth of Christ. 1t forms part
of the Persian period, that Is, the period
during which the Jews We're ruled by the
kings Of Persia, which lasted from the
time of Cyrus (538) till the conquest of
the Persian Empire by Alexander the
Great, about two centuries later. Then
Palestine came under the Greek rule, be-
ing a constant source Of contention be-
tween the Greek kings of Syria (the Sc
leucids, so called from the founder of the
dynasty, Seleucus) and the Greek kings
of Egypt, the Ptolemies. This epoch ends
with the winning of Jewish independence
by the Maccabees, 165-140 b. c.; and
after less than a century of independence
the Jews were conquered by the Romans,
and remained Roman colony until the
nation came to its end-as nation-in
A. ID. 20.
The quarters lessons begin, appropri-
afalv anauUh with poaIp, aynras ain tho
JOY of the people in the recently rebuilt
temple. A question arises whether this
particular psalm was in fact written at
this time, the closing years Of the sixth
century Il. c., and referred to the temple
just completed under the leadership Of
Zerubbabel, encouraged by Haggai and
Zechariah. That raises the whole prob
lem of the date of individual psalms,
which is far too large to be treated in
general. Some elementary facts, how
ever, which are not so familiar as they
ought to be, even among intelligent Chris.
tians, may be recalled. The book of
Psalms is not a unit. 1t does not claim
to be unit 1t Is collection or COM
piation of hymns and sacred songs of
many centuries, brought together as a
hymn book for the use of priests and
people in the service Of the second tenn
pie. He is rash man who undertakes to
fix the date when this compilation was
made; but it is easy to see that the final
work upon it could not have been done
until long after the exile, for the later
psalms, elaborate and ritualistic, point to
time when the temple service was fully
developed and highly ornate. The book
of Psalms should be called ''The Books of
Psalms" for there are five books, clearly
marked, and recognized in our revised
version, distributed as follows: Book l,
III; book 2, 1912; book 3, 1880; book 4,
9O-106; book 5, 1O7-15O. Each book
closes with a sort of doxology.
Explanatory.
II was glad when they said unto me-:
If we assume that this is pilgrims
hymn, this refers to the beginning of the
journey to Jerusalem at one of the an
nual feasts. When the time came to start
from some village in the hills to the north
or west of the city, and the preparations
were made, the provisions prepared for
the two or three days trip, the clothing
of the travellers put in IT'S best shape, the
arrangements made for families to travel
together, etc., then there was a childlke
feeling Of JOY at the prospect. 1t was
a sacred holiday time in which old and
young rejoiced.
Our feet are standing within thy
gates" as the travellers journeyed-early
in the morning or after sunset, as was the
custom, tc escape the heat of the day
they saw in anticipation the city which
was the goal of their hopes, and were
glad when they looked forward to the
entrance into the gates; and when finally
they came within sight of it, approaching
from the hills and descending the steep
paths across the valleys that shut it off |
on three sides from the surrounding coun-
try, and then climbed to enter its impos-
ing gates through the city WALL. the song
echoed forth again, Our feet are stand
ing within thy gates, 0 Jerusalem
"a city that Is compact together: in |
contrast to the scattered and ruined walls |
and houses which had been found when
the exiles returned, the city was now re-
built, strong and beautiful.
WHITTIER the tribes go up: some writ
ers take this expression as indicating that |
the psalm Is a very old one, dating be-
fore the division of the kingdom in Reho-
boam's time. That is large inference
to base on a word that may be used sim
ply in a poetic sense.
For there are set thrones for judg-
ment": the poets way of saying that Je-
rusalem is the national capital, where |
civil authority is conferred.
pray for the peace of Jerusalem: A |
play upon words, sort Of serious pun, |
of which the Hebrew poets were quite as |
fond as the old English writer's were of |
is found in the Hebrew. |
Peace is shalom, prosperity shalvah, Jeru-
salem is Yeru-shalaim. A prayer for |
peace and prosperity upon a city or a
ture.
For my brethren and companions
sakes" the welfare of the whole nation |
was involved in the degree of fidelity and |
loyalty towards the temple. In it CEN
tered the religious life and the civil life |
as well, the two being closely mingled. |
This is the prayer of Christian citizen
ship, the aspiration of the generous, un-
selfish Christian citizen who desires the |
welfare of city and state for the happi- |
ness and safety of his neighbors as well |
as Of himself.
"For the sake of the house of the Lord |
our God will seek thy good: the city is
still addressed. The speaker will seek
the good of the city in order that the tenn
pie, and all that ii stands for, may not
suffer. Here Is a quite different and yet |
q worthy motive for Christian citizen
ship. The Christian is to work for good |
government because of its relation 10 re- |
ligious progress. II the city is corruptly |
poI H.. To-, tee