Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-09-14

"Power through the Spirit" IL the title
of the lesson for Sept. II. 1t Is from
Zech. 4: LA.
Zechariah was q colleague of Haggai,
though, II Is thought. younger man. The
two prophets seem to have co-operated in
the work of stimulating the half-discour-
aged Jews to begin and to continue work
on the temple during the four years of
its erection, 520-516 b. G. Compare
lively few periods of Old Testament his
tory, so brief as this, have so much ma
terial to throw light upon their charac
teristics. Yet there are things left oh.
scure. 1t is thought by Prof. G. #. Kent
GA History OF the Jewish People'') that
the common impression of return Of the
Jews In large numbers in the reign Of Cy-
rus and the establishment Of a well or
ganized state at Jerusalem is insufficient
ly supported, and that we are rather to
think Of the community In Judea as small
and weak, while the real beginning of
the new era is to be placed in the follow
ing century, two generations later, In the
time of Ezra and Nehemiah (460-440D.
With this question we have little to do
except that whatever the conclusion, ii Is
not likely we shall exaggerate the wretch
ed state Of the Jews in Zerubbabel's time.
The books of Haggai and Zechariah are
enough to prove that, without having re-
course to other parts of the Old Tesla
ment which modern critics are inclined to
assign to these post-exilic times.
Haggai saw the same evils that Zech-
ariah saw-slackness, irreverence, infirm-
ity of purpose, hesitation, lack of faith
but met them in a different way. Hag-
gals short sermons consisted Of simple,
straightforward encouragement and
warning, based on the divine promise of
assistance. Zechariah, on the other hand.
being more of mystic and a seer Of
Ezekiels type, saw visions. He beheld
strange figures in the night and dreamed
by day. First he saw horses, and a man
upon one of them; and the Lord Of hosts
promised to chastise the nations that had
troubled Judah, and to establish Jcrusa-
lem with his mercies. Then there were
four horns-the ''horns which have scat
tered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem'-Bab-
ylonian and Persian monarchs, apparent
ly-and four smiths who were to break
the horns with thei sledges (chap. j..
Then there was q man with measuring
line in his hand-a favorite symbol Of
prophecy Asld, apocalypse, biblical and ex
-bibicah. spoke comfortable
things concerning Jerusalem, that she
should Do inhhbited by a multitude, that
. i'the Fond shall inherit Judah as his por
tiopsih the holy land, and shall yet choose
jerusalem" hat many nations shall join
themselves to the Lord in that day, and
shall he my people. % The next
vision was that Of the high priest Joshua,
rescued from his danger, and his unclean-
ness and made holy for his high service;
with mysterious word of prophecy about
''my servant the branch" that points to
Messiahic future (chap. -. Our lesson
follows.
Explanatory.
This section Is not dated, but it's con-
tents show plainly enough that il belongs
to the years of temple building. and pre-
sumably to the time when the building
was approaching completion and dedica-
ton. That is to say, we may assign it
to the year 517 or SIC B. G. We learn
that the temple was completed in the
latter year (see Ezra, 6: 14-17, Darius
sixth year being $50. The builders were
approaching the end of their task, and it
becomes the prophets duty to keep them
in mind Of the great purposes which they
are bound to fulfill; to remind them that
it is not mere building they have erect
ed and on which they are now putting the
last finishing touches, but house of God,
a habitation of the Spirit, to be conse-
Grated and kept pure not by words and
ceremonies but by righteousness and true
devotion.
1t Is the candlestick so familiar to all
who had known the former temple, the
SYMBOL when kept constantly burning, Of
Gods constant presence. Do not try to
assign an exact meaning to the candle
stick until we get through the passage
and see what the general thought is.
mot by might nor by power, but by
my Spirit" How shall we complete
the sentence? What is to be done not by
might or power but by Jehovah's spirit?
Evidently, the task upon which they are
bent-the completion and sanctification
Of the temple, the building up of city and
community, the re-establishment of Ju-
dab as a holy and happy nation. To the
mind Of Zecharah and of most Of his
hearers the first of these objects proba-
bly, overshadowed the others-the COM
pletion and maintenance of the temple,
for 1t was upon this that their thoughts
had been centered for four years-this
which included for them the germ of all
the rest; this which represented their
highest ambition and dearest dream, to
see that building stand once more perfect
and respondent in the morning sun, to be-
hold the incense rising from the altar, to
hear the solemn chorus Of priests and peo-
pie and the mellow refrain of distant mu-
sic, to feel that this will abide, that God
has come back to stay; to fear no jealous
foe, to rest firm and content upon the
holy mountain forever. Permanence,
power. peace were their desire. And
how shall these be won? Not by worldly
dominion-this could not be theirs, for
they were handful of unprotected dwell
ers in n ruined city; not by sheer strength
Of arm to WELD the weapons Of war or
to lift the mighty stones of the temple
walls to their place, but by the Spirit OF
the Lord Of hosts. Spell spirit" as you
choose, capital or small letter. We need
not try to transfer our theology back to
those far-off days and say just what the
prophet meant when he spoke Of Jeho-
vah's spirit. What his words really meant
fundamentally was that the invisible
King Of the world would breathe upon
their hearts and the labors Of their hands
and make them live-the breath, the in
visible mighty wind, the spirit of Jeho-
yah shall be their ally.