Gospel from Two Testaments Author:Elisha Benjamin Andrews Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: lessor? III. Jar?uary i5. ENCOURAGING THE PEOPLE. Haggai ii: 1-9. By Rev. Professor PHILIP A. NORDEI/L-, D. D., Chicago, Ill. THE recovery of the Jew... more »s from the disasters attending the Babylonian captivity was necessarily slow and painful. The handful of patriots who returned with Zerubbabel were poor, weak, and despised. They found Jerusalem and the temple heaps of ruins, covered with weeds and rubbish. The first two years witnessed the rebuilding of the altar, the re-establishment of the burnt sacrifices, and the laying of the foundation of the second temple -amid the liveliest conflict of emotions?uncontrollable outbreaks of joy and praise from the young, and of sobs and tears from the aged, who contrasted the insignificant present with memories of the resplendent past. The enterprise, which was speedily obstructed by their enemies, was not resumed until nearly fifteen years later, at the inspired call of Haggai and Zechariah. The Samaritans, who hoped again to check the work, were themselves ordered by the king of Persia to render prompt and generous assistance. In point of literary style, of freshness, sublimity, and strength, Haggai touches the low-water mark of Old Testament prophecy. His oracles are narrow as to both time and scope. The former is limited to four months in the second year of Darius, the latter to the rebuilding of the temple. His first oracle stirred the rulers and the people to begin this task anew. Only threeor four weeks elapsed, however, before fresh discouragements threatened to terminate it permanently. Just at this point a second oracle, full of divine encouragement, came to Haggai. Weak hands were strengthened, timid hearts were cheered, religious faith and patriotic zeal were kindled into a glow of enthusiasm that never failed until t...« less