The Yale expositor., 1911-10-19
Second Temples
Foundation Laid
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. 22, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper
LESSON TEXT-Ezra 4:1-4:5.

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LESSON TEXT-Ezra 4:1-4:5.
MEMORY VERSES-3:11.
| GOLDEN TEXT-"Enter into his gates
with Thanksgiving, and into his courts
with praise."-Psa. 1904.
| TIME-The arrival at Jerusalem, b. c.
537. Foundation of the Temple, B. c. $50.
Delays, b. c. 535-52O. Building of Temple
begun, b. c. $40. Temple completed, b. c.
5l6. Period of the lesson, 20 years.
| PLACE-Jerusalem and vicinity.
PROPHETS.-Hagg B. c. 500 Zechar-
iah, IL. c. 520-51S. Daniel the aged Dan
| 1O:D.
| RULERS-Cyrus king till B. C. 529.
| Cambyses king b. c. 530-522 Darius king
d. c. 52l-4S6. zerubbabel governor of
| Judea.
The exiles found Jerusalem in ruins.
together with the surrounding cities
or residence and their orchards and
farms, much as they had been left by
Nebuchadnezzar's armies fifty years
before. Trees were growing wild on
the Mountain of the House, and the
Jackals prowled among heaps of shat
tered masonry. Crumbling stone-work
and charred timbers marked the site
OF palaces and towers, and choked the
streets. The city walls and gates
were leveled with the ground. The
frst business Of the returned exiles
was, OF course, to provide some kind
OF dwellings for themselves and their
families. They accordingly settled in
the small cities surrounding Jerusa-
lem, perhaps repairing the houses and
walls that had been ruined by the be-
| sieging armies years before, or con-
| tenting themselves with huts or tents.
The territory they controlled was of
course small, and hemmed in on all
sides, including only Bethlehem on
the south, while on the north their ter
ritory measured no more than twenty
five miles in length by twenty in
| breadth" and even upon this en-
croached the heather or mongrel pop
ulation.
AS soon as the returned exiles had
become settled in their homes, and
| hid planned for the necessities of
life, within three or four months of
their arrival, they wisely arranged
for the religious life which was the
very heart of the nations existence,
and the central motive and inspiration
OF the return. 1t would require years
to build the temple. 1t was not wise
to wait for that. 1t was essential that
all needful helps to devotion and re-
ligion and righteousness should be pro.
vided Immediately, to sustain them in
the work to be done amid opposition
and temptations which were to try
their souls as gold is tried in the fire.
When the builders laid the founda-
ton of the temple, there was a great
celebration. The chant of praise was
responded to with a great burst of
chorus, vocal and instrumental, the
substance Of which was some we'll
known sacred refrain. There is
wonderful power in music and every
atom of it should be used in Gods
service. The church has scarcely be-
gun to use this power in its fitness.
Some object to responsive singing;
some have opposed putting an orches-
ira in the Sunday school, as if these
were modern novelties, instead of g.
600 years old. These old saints used
every kind Of instrument, every meth
cd of singing-solos, responses, Choir
uses, marching songs, refrains, every
thing that would give wings and in
SEPARATION to the service of song.
Those who had known only the exile
conditions sang Hallelujahs, because
it was an unspeakable joy to have
temple at all. 1t meant the saving
OF the nation; it meant the returning
favor of God. 1t was no limit to the
religious life and the blessings which
could grow out of it. 1t made posi-
BILE the greater glory, which fifteen
years later the prophet Haggai fore
told, when it should be fulfilled in the
Messiah.
We learn from Haggai that the peo-
pie were busy with building beautiful
houses, and cultivating their farms.
They planted vineyards and orchards,
figs, pomegranates and olives. But all
their efforts were failures. They
looked for much, and 10 it came to
little" For they cared more for their
own houses and farms than for the
house of God.
Then arose the wise, aged prophet.
preacher Haggai, who had been watch
ing the course Of affairs, and in the
name of God, urged the people to
arise and build the temple, for the
time had come. He made four adj
dresses in the autumn of $40, the sum-
maries of which are recorded in his
book. He began at the religious fes-
tival of the new moon when crowds
of people were assembled, probably
in the temple area itself, where the
altar was smoking with sacrifices, and
the unfinished foundations and the
desolation of the city were in full
view, while in the distance we're the
homes and fields Of the leaders.
While aged Haggai was urging the
people to rise I'D and build a younper