Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-10-19

Ez. 1913; 6;14-19.
Golden Text.-"Entsr into his gates
with Thanksgiving, and into his courts
with praise" Ps. 1904.
What was the primary object in the
return from Babylon? Did Cyrus make
the decree in order to restore a nation?
The nation mas never been restored;
the return from Babylon was really the
beginning of the Jewish church, in con-
tra-distinction to the Jewish nation.
Prior to that. the nation had been dealt
with as a whole; now it is more with
individuals. 1t was to rebuild the tenn
pie. which was the center of the Jew
ish worship that these sons of trans
portation" made the journey requiring
four months and necessitating many
hardships.
The first step which they took upon
their arrival was to make preparation
for worship. 1t must have been very
distressing sight to them to see the
pile of rubbish overgrown with rank
weeds, where once the glorious temple
of Solomon had stood. New material
was needed and this material had to
be imported, because lumber could not
be found in their immediate neighbor-
hood. Everyone who could made an Of
lOT the purpose ACQUIRING 10 his
ability. No tax was levied; but just as
it had been optional with them to re-
turn from Babylon, so now only those
give who have a mind to, and yet 1t
was an offering in which princes and
people participated.
Arrangements were made with the
Phoencians so that lumber could be
gathered from the forests of Lebanon,
for which imports they paid with the
fruits of the ground; they had no mon
ey. Just here is a little touch which
shows the spirit of this people; they
gave the order believing that God would
bless their efforts: then they went TO
work. and by the following summer, had
fathered crops sufficient to pay for what
they had ordered in the past fal, for
it was in the second year of Cyrus, the
year after their return. that they be-
gan the erection of the temple.
Shortly after their arrival, which must have
been about September they built an altar to
the LORD and wOrshped God there Worship
was more important than building. The altar
to the Jews symbolized all that the cross docs
the altar which gave them access to God; only
in their il the unwilling sacrifice OF
animals, whereas in the of Christians
ii is the willing sacrifice of the Son of God
himself
Their worship was a revival of the old, no
some new form Of worship. Whatever they DID
according to the law or Moses and Just as
far as possible in obedience to the will of God
II is rather significant that the first offering
they made was a burnt offering; for in that
the whole animal was burnt, no part OF the
burnt offering being taken by the priests, as
the whole was burnt TO represent the complete
sacrifice of the individual. Is there any sacri
flee which one can make which is as complet e
as death? Yes, absolute self effacement Is
more than death. To lose sight of self and tC
nut Christ always first is the greatest sacrl
flee any man can make. This is the one which
the burnt offering should typify to us
The next year--that is, the second year oil
Cyrus-when under Zerubbabel the people began
TO Law the foundat ton of the house or Coo
the Samaritans came and offered their services
These were the descendants of the people VINO
had been placed in the northern part OF lsrae
nv the Assyrians when the ten tribes wer
captured about 200 years before They hao
adopted some of the worship Of Israel, Dut
was dreadfully mixed with heather customs
which they had brought from Assyria ihese
Samaritnns were honest in their desire TO help,
tLcy said they worshiped the same 600 Una
the Jews did and would like to assist III
erecting the temple to Him, as the place Whert
He would be manifest and where lie mign'
no sonplt and found. Zerubbabel rejected theli
ffer very fatty, and with not much tdct
Was no wise in doing thisg was ne right
Az first glance 1t would seem not, ana ye
mon nd deeper consideration he could harul
have done anything else; for 1t was not ma
tion which he was founding, but a cnurch
There could be no possible harmony oetweel
trese whose religion so mixed anu 'noS'
NIonothelsts who had come from bao!lon' -