T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S how great soever its material splendor, it was inferior in this respect to Solo mon’s temple. Yet the glory of the sec ond far outshone that of the first tem- ple in another and more important point of view. It received within its walls the incarnate Saviour (Hag. 2:9). — J. F. & B. v. 13. Could not discern. Among eastern people expressions of sorrow are always very loud and vehement. It is indicated by wailing, the howl oi which is sometimes not easily distin guishable from joyful acclamations.—- Sel. . v. 15. The house was finished. The foundation'was laid April, 536 B. C. and the completion accomplished Feb ruary, 515 B. C.— Lightfoot. v. 16. Kept the dedication with Joy. When the house was finished it was dedicated. What joy was there, but amid all a solemn memory of the sin of the whole people of Israel (v. 17). Though scattered to the four winds, they could not forget that in God’s sight they were one still.||j-Meyer. The aged who had wept at the laying of the foun dation were most, if not all, of them, now dead, and all rejoiced at the com pletion of this national undertaking.—. Jamieson. The dedication is an in stance of the highest use of man’s work. The fruit of years of toil and sacrifice is given to God. Whatever the theories we may have about the con secration of a building— and surely every building that is put to a sacred use is in a sense a sacred building^-ri there can be no question as to the right ness of dedication. This is just the surrender to God of what was built for Him out of the resources that He had supplied. A dedication service is a solemn act of transfer by which a build ing is given over to the use of God. The home where the family altar is set up, where day by day prayer is offered, and where the common round of domestic duties is elevated and consecrated by being faithfully discharged as in the sight of God, is a true sanctuary. It too, like the temple, has its Holy of Holies. Therefore when a family enters a new house, or when two young lives cross the threshold of what is to be henceforth their home, there is as true a ground for a solemn act of dedication as in the opening of a great temple.— Adeney.
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Pictorial Questions How many came back from Babylon to Jerusalem? Ezra 2:64, 65. Who were the leaders? 3:2. What posi tion did Zerubbabel fill? What posi tion did Josadak have? LESSON What work did Ezra QUESTIONS do? How did they W. H. Pike beginto build the tem ple? 3:3. W h a 't next did they do? 3:10. Did they do right in starting the altar first and building the temple or ought they to have started the walls first and built the city? Who were the adversaries of Ju dah and Benjamin? What did they of fer to do? 4:2. What did the leaders of Israel do with their offer? 4:3. What then did the people of the land do against Israel? 4:4, 5. What did these adversaries write to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem and its history? 4:11-16. What did Artaxerxes reply? 4:17-22. Did they stop all building for a time? 4:24. When did the work begin again? What two prophets stirred the people into activity? 5:1. What word did the Israelites send to Darius? 5:7-17. Did they begin to build again before they re ceived word from this message? 5:2. What word did Darius return to the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem? Practical Questions Does God’s work always meet with opposition in this world? Were they doing rightly in beginning at the altar and making the heart worship the prin cipal issue? Ought Christians to main tain the family altar in spite of opposi tion? Was the opposition subtle and satanic? Read 4:2, 4, 11, 23. Does not the evil one try to get inside to work and if he is unable to get within does he not begin to weaken and threaten from without? What helped the people and kept up their faith? 5:1, they be lieved God’s Word through His proph ets. 5:2, they worked out God’s, plan. 5:5, they enjoyed God’s favor.
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