LESSON XI.—SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1899.
ENCOURAGING THE BUILDERS.
1 "In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, 2 saying, Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, 3 and to the remnant of the people, saying, Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? and how do ye 4 see it now? Is it not in your eyes as nothing? Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work; for I am with you, saith 5 the Lord of hosts, according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, and My Spirit abode 6 among you; fear ye not. For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and 7 the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desirable things of all nations shall come, and 8 I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, saith the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, saith the Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts."
Golden Text: "Be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work; for I am with you." Verse 4. (1) With what part of Scripture is the book of Haggai parallel in point of time? Note 1. (2) When was it written? Note 1. (3) What was the condition of things at Jerusalem? Ezra 3 to 5. Note 1. (4) What was the condition of the people? Who were the rulers? (5) What message had Haggai already given? Note 2. (6) When did the Lord send the next message? V. 1. (7) To whom was it spoken? V. 2. (8) What question did He ask them? How did this temple compare with the former? V. 3. (9) Yet what encouraging assurance did the Lord give? V. 4. (10) To what did the Lord refer to assure them? V. 5. Note 3. (11) What did the Lord say He would do? Vs. 6, 7. Note 4. (12) What encouragement had they in building? V. 8. See Ps. 50: 10-12. (13) What did God promise concerning that house? Vs. 7, 9. Note 5. The book of Haggai is widely separated from Ezra, but it belongs to the same time, and its contents had direct reference to the building of the temple then, and are typical of the work of God now. Read from Ezra 1 to Ezra 6. This belongs to the latter chapter. See verse 14. The lesson section includes all of Haggai; the city was in a dilapidated condition, the temple building was yet languishing. The time of Haggai is about B. C. 520, fifteen years after the foundations of the temple were laid. The people had departed from the Lord and had become discouraged. The place was Jerusalem. The rulers were Darius Hystaspes, one of the greatest of the Medo-Persian emperors, defeated at Marathon B. C. 490, and Zerubbabel, governor of Judea. The prophets were Haggai and Zechariah. Ezra 6:14.
2. Haggai had, more than a month and a half previous to this, given the message found in the first chapter. He reproved them for their lack of faith, for their selfishness; pointed out the deplorable result of their sins in the famine and want they suffered, and urged them to rise and build. This they proceeded to do, and the prophet assured them God was with them.
3. According to the Word.—God would remind them of His covenant with the fathers. He was the same God still, and His Spirit was just as mighty; for it was by the Spirit's power that the work was to be wrought; not by army or human might. See Zech. 4:6.
4. I will shake, etc.—Every work of reform is a promise of the great last reformation. Every work of building is a promise of the completion. Every deliverance of God's people is a type of the last great deliverance. The completed temple of God in the past is a type of the great completed church of God triumphant. So the prophet looks forward to the future; and as He had shaken Babylon for the deliverance of the people of God there, so would He shake all nations, even heaven and earth, in the last great, glorious deliverance. See Heb. 12:26; Joel 3:16; Rev. 6:13-17.
5. Desirable things.—"The Desire of all nations" (common version) is generally referred to Christ. He came to that temple and gave it glory never possessed by the gorgeous edifice built by Solomon. The "desirable things of all nations" will be the souls gathered into the great spiritual temple of God by Jesus Christ—the worthy ones of earth. It is Christ alone who can give peace. See Zech. 6:12, 13; Eph. 2:14, 17, 19-22. General Eastern Agency—Pacific Press Pub. Co., 39 Bond St., N. Y. City, N. Y.
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