The Pulpit Commentary — Haggai — Section 28

Vere. 6, 7.-The shalciing of the heavens and the earth. I. HrsTORIOAL ILLUSTB.A.• TIONs. --~- ft Sinai, when Jehovah manifes~d himself to Israel (Exod. xix. 16-19; P~. lxnn. 1, 8). Preparatory and prophetical. 2. At the birth of Ohi-ist, when ,leh<'vah 1tppeared on-earth in the Person of his Son (Joel ii. 30, 31: Lulrn ii. 8-14; A<'t-~ ii. ~9, 20). Furthering and fulfilling. 3. At the end of time, when Jehovah will a third time appear, in the Person of the glorified Christ, to save his people and judge his foes (Isa. x.xiv. 19, 20; 2 Pet. iii. 10). Culminating and completing. II. SCRIPTURAL INTERPRETATIONS. According to the writer to the Hebrews "This wurd, Once more, signifieth the removing of the things that are shaken, th~t those things which CRnnot be sh&ken may remain" (Heb. xii. 27). In other words the object of each successive Di,•ine interposition has been and will be the abrogation 'or institu- tions that have served their day, the correction of errors that have hindered the truth, the alteration of circumstances and conditions that are no longer suited to the new era about to be introduced. 1. At Sinai 'IIJere shalcen and remO'lled (1) the polytheism which Israel bad in large measure brought with her from Egypt; (2) the individualism· which had hitherto prevented Israel from forming herself into a nation; and (3) the serfdom which had rendered the realization of Israel's calling impossible; while the thi11gs that could not be shaken and rema.ined were (1) the unity of God, or the mono- theistic element which still survived in Israel's religion; (2) the covenant relationship in which Jehovah stood towards Israel; and (3) the capacity for religion which no amount of oppression had beeu able utterly to destroy. 2. At the birth of Christ were shaken and removed (1) the Mosaic institute which had then served its day, and was even ready to vanish away (Heh. viii. 13); (2) the partition wall between Jew and Gentile (Eph. ii. 14), which had repelled each from, rather than attracted each to; the other; and (3) the extema.lism and literalism in worship, which had converted it into mere mechanism; while the unshakable things that remained were (1) the covenant of grace which underlay the Mosaic institute, and shone the brighter when that was removed which for centuries ha.d been superimposed upon it; (2) the brother,~ hood of man, which was henceforth to be placed in the forefront of the gospel message (Acts rni. 26; Rom. ii. 11; iii. 29; Col. iii. 11; Gal. iii. 26); and (3) the spirituality of religion, wbich was no more to be confined to either places or'seasons; persons or forms, but to find its seat in the heart and its priest in the renewed soul (John iv. 21-24). 3. .A.t the end of time will be shaken and removed (1) the present state and condition of things (1 Cor. vii. 31; xv. 50--57; 2 Pet. iii. 10, 12; 1 John ·ii. 17); (2) rhe presence and power of sin (Ilev. xxii. 3); and (3) the mediatodal sovereignty of Christ (1 Cor. xv. 23); while as things that cannot be shaken, shall remain (1) the new hea,en., and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness (2 Pet. iii. 13); (2) the redeemed family of believers (1 John ii. 17) ; and (3) the eternal supremacy of God, who sh.all then be all in all (1 Cor. xv. 23). Learn: 1. Tbat nations and individuals mostly advance by means of struggle and commotion. 2. That peace and quietness may often mean stagnation and death rather than progress and life. 3. That truth and right will eventually prevail over falsehood and wrong. Ver. 7.-" The desire of all natio11s." I. ALL NATIONS HAVE DESIRED A VISIBLE DIVINITY j AND SUCH A MANIFESTED OR REVEALED DIVINITY HAS BEEN GIVEN TO MA.?,'KIND IN CHRIST. That all nations from the beginning downward have believed in the existence of a Supreme Being has been sufficiently demonstrated by the universality iu man of the instinct of wor6hip. Nor have all nations merely wished to possess a god, but the Deity the! have longe~ for ha~ ~e~n, not a god r~mainifig always little more than a conception of the mmd, an mlimtely exalted being with whom tbey could not enter into fellowship, but a God whom they could look upon, or at least think of, as not far from any one of them, a God who could not only come near to tbcm, but to whom they in turn could come near. The lowest forms of religion that !,ave existed ou tl,e eurth, the religions of men in most degraded conditions, have on. m 1-28.] TRE BOOK OF HAGGAI. 27