Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-24

REBUILDING THE TEMPLE
Ezra, it'll; vi.22; Psalm,
xxiv1-12.
Golden text was glad when
they said unto me, let us go into
the house of Jehovah-Psalm,
cXxii.1.
Four months of dreary marching
brought the exiles, who had left Baby
Ion under the authority of Cyrus. to
Jerusalem and Judah. The Importance
CT the membership in that patriotic re-
| ligiouS company was recognized, for
great care was taken to make an accu-
rate genealogical record. Their de-
scendants could point with as much
pride to their ancestors share in that
historic march, as the descendants OF
the Pilgrims who came over IN the
Mayflower recall today the part their
ancestors played in establishing the
first colony of settlers in New England.
Both the Pilgrims an dthe Jews who
returned in that epoch making journey
were moved by deep religious motives
| and convictions of personal duty. Both
sought the establishment Of place OF
worship and turned to a distant land
as the place where they could establish
religious life that would be pure and
indebted. The Pilgrim sought to trans
was hoping to revive and restore the
worship of Jehovah in their homeland.
The exile taught the Jews that their
superiority, as nation, was due to
their faith. Moved by the sole and
supreme desire to re-establiSh the tenn
pie. whose Importance they had come
to recognize during their captivity, 50,-
600 pious and patriotic Jews had made
.the long journey from Babylon to
Jerusalem so that Jehovah could be
worshiped in Zion. They were in
spired BY the example of Abraham, who
had responded to the command OF God
and made the same journey which they
had made.
zerubbabel, the legal heir to the
throne, had been commissioned by
Cyrus to act as the royal governor in
all civil matters. Joshua, the high
priest, was the final authority In all
religious questions. There was no
quarrel between them. Each was SUI
preme in his own department. Both
had the united support Of the exiles,
who returned with one aspiration-to
rebuild the temple so that the worship
of Jehovah could be conducted accord
ing to law. They had the hearty sup
port of the prophets, Haggal and
zechariah.
The spirit with which the people
faced the task of retaining the neg
lected farms. rebuilding the ruined
cities and restoring the worship OF
Jehovah in a new temple wltnln
Jerusalem proves that the captivity
had been of real value to them. They
were prepared for sacrifice, struggle and
service. The deserted and Impoverished
hills did not dampen their zeal any
more than the condition Of Jerusalem.
Fifty years previous to their return
ACKNOWLEDGMENT had broken down the
CITY walls and left the city one mass OF
ruins. The erosion Of time had made
the city one vast heap OF rubbish ana
desolation.
Worship Restored.
Work of cleaning up the debris upon
the site of the former temple was COM
menced at once and through their 1r-
resistible unity of effort the altar was
restored, being built upon the founoa.
ton of the former altar. The work OF
restoration had progressed to that eX.
tent that the long neglected feast OF
tabernacles was observed, commencing
with the first day of the seventh month.
Although the foundations OF the temple
had not been laid, they commenced the
observance of the entire round of Levitt
cal sacrifices at that time. THESE PROB
ably were observed more completely
than at any time since leaving Egypt
as a people. Each day brought its duty,
and every effort was made TO repro
dice the service as accurately as pos
sible in accordance with the require
ments of the law: If we should follow
their example, doing daily the demands
of that day, the world would recognize
the fact that we had been WIN Jesus
and learned of Him. A..
Worship having been restored. tne
people started to rebuild the temple:
Funds had been provided by Cyrus and
friends, who remained in Babylon. Ihe
exiles had made generous contributors
for the building fund when they reach
ed Jerusalem. Following the example
of Solomon, they made contracts LOT
the supplying of wood from Lebanon.
They secured workingmen VINO were
skilled builders from Tyre and Sidon,
paving them out of the funds that had
been contributed. Through the result
of their united efforts, helping the men
that they had hired, they were able to
lay the foundation stone for the new
temple upon the second month OF the
second year after they had returned.
It was an hour of rejoicing and I'M
posing ceremony. Without doubt they
sang the psalm David had prepared Tor
use in connection with the bringing up
a prominent place in their worship,
some being sung alternately and antiph-
onally and others in unison. While the
multitude was rejoicing and showing
its Joy at what had been accom-
blished some of the aged ones who had
seen the glory of Solomon'S Temple
wept. The blending of joy and grief
over new beginnings is not unfamiliar
to us, especially at the wedding hour.
IF there had been a lack of reverence
for the past that day, then no solid
foundation could have been laid for
the new temple. Progressive movements
depend for their success upon close re-
lation to former ideals and principles
of action.
Building Difficulties Overcome.
During their building enterprise an
offer of assistance was received from
an unexpected source. The nations adj
vefsarieS, living in the territory for
merly occupied by the 10 tribes OF
Israel, came and offered through their
representatives to contribute toward
the erection of the new temple, claim
ing that they were worshipers OF Je-
hovah. The people making the offer
were to a large extent mixed race
who did not worship Jehovah after the
manner of the Jews who had returned
from the exile. It was a political move
cording to "Old World ideas, corpora
ton in temple building was incorpora-
ton in national unity" The Samari-
tanS were "the most extraordinary jur1-
BILE Of nationalities known in history"
A large number Of IsraeliteS had been
left in the land after the various As
syrian and Babylonian conquests. They