Vers. 10-19.-The past and the future. Two -months had now elapsed since, stimulated by the prophet's glowing words, the temple-builders he.d resumed their labours (comp. ver. 1 with ver. 10). These months were of great importance with reference to agricultural interests, being the usual season for sowing the, seed and planting the vines. That at such a time they should manifest so much· zest in the work or rebuilding the temp}e proved how thoroughly in earnest they were; and this c,arnestneHs is the more evident as we remember that the. previous harvests- -having failed, the people must at this timt1 have been in very ·straitened circumstances. It is not surprising if, whilst engaged in these combined operations, renewed depression took possession of their hearts, and if in sadness they asked themselves wl:tab they would do if the next harvest sbould likewise fail. • The address of Haggai recorded in these verses (10-19) was desigll.ed either to a.nticipate or to meet such gloomy appre- hensions; and we have only to bear thi-s design in mind, and the meaning of his words, ot',erwise somewhat ambiguous, becomes very clear. I. THE CAUSE OF PAST ADVERSlTY. 1. He traced this to·iheir own,moia.l defection. The method he adopted was peculiar-it was by mea.ns ofpa.rBbles that he sought to make vivid to them their past sinfulness, and which had 'caused their sorrow."' (1) The first parable and its application. He referred them to the priests, biddi_ng them ask whether, if a ma.n carries holy flesh in the lappet of his garment(i.e. flesh of anima.ls slain as sacrifices), a.nd he liappened to touch any food with'the la.ppet,:the food thus touched would become consecrated. The priests, in accordance with the ceremonial Le.w (Lev, 'ri. 27), answered," No" (vere.11, 12), contending that the lappet of the dress we.s ma.de holy, but that it was not said in the Law that it could communicate this holiness; So; the prophet implied (ver. H), we.a it with his-nation. God had chosen their land to set his Na.me there. His worship had been established in their midst, they had been constituted a favoured people, and their lanil had. been consecrated through this associa- tion with the Lord. This, however, did not affect that which had been planted in the ) soil ; the earth was not bound to yield an abundant increase by virtue of these sacred associations. It was only by their being faithful to -their high calling, diligently cultivating the soil, and !ooh.in~ up to Heaven for the blessing, that temporal prosperity could be enjoyed, and the lack of this spirit he.d been the cause of e.11 their sorrow. (2) The second parable and it& appl.icatiou. The appeal w~s again ma.de to the priests, to know whether, if one who had been defiled by contact with a dead body happened to touch anything, the thing thus touched would be unclean. The priests unhesitatingly r,·plie<l that it would, the declarations of the ceremonial Law upon this point being very explicit (Numb. xix.). So the prophet affirmed that his people, neglecting,the claims of Jehovah, bad rendered themselves mornlly unclean, and the blight had conRequently reskd u1•un the works of their hands (ver. 14). 'fbeir adversity was traceable to their on. m 1-23.] THE BOOK OF HAGGAI. 3\1
Rnd defection from holy duty and devotedness to the Lord their God. 2. He intimated tbnt because of this defection God ho.d visited them in judgment. He had in chastise- ment smitton .them with blnsting and mildew and hail, rendering their labour BCJ o.boiltive that their Hheaves had yielded but a scanty return (vers. 15-17). 3. He recorderl the fact that, despite these judgments, they bad persisted in their neglect of duty . ." Yet ye -turned not unto me, saith the Lord" (ver. 17). '1.'he prophet's strong faituful speech indicates that there had been amongst these returned captives muci1 of indifference, coldness, and deadness in reference to the work of God, and it was only ri!(bt that they should be reminded of this, and that by \he painful memory of past failure they should be, stimulated to more thorough and· entire consecrntion in the future, and to which we may be sure the devoted seer gladly turned. The past i8 irrevocable and irretrievable. No tears, no regrets, can win it back to us. "Thon unrelenting Past I Strong nre the barriers of thy dark domain; All things, yea, even man's life on earth, Slide to thy dim dominions and are bour,d." The. future, however, is available, and hence, leaving the past, with all our short.comings Jn rela,tion to it; and rejoicing in God's mercy and in the strength be is so ready to impart, let us" go ~nd si_n no more." IL THI!: ASSURANCE OF FUTURE PROSPERITY. (Ver. 19.) Their action bad now com- pletely changed. They fully recognized God's claims; instead of seeking their own personal and selfish en.ds, they now consecrated themselves heart and soul to the work of God, striving in every way to advance his glory. The temple rose, and " they finished .it according ~o the commandment," etc. (Ezra vi. H). And their attitude towards God and his work being thus changed, his attitude towards them became like- ·wise changed. They must still for a while experience the effects of their past neglect in that time muRt elapse before rich fruitfulness should appear where formerly there had been dearth and barrenness, but they might rest assured of the returning favour of the Lord; y4;la, from that moment this joy should be theirs. "From this day will I bless you" (ver. 19). So is it in our life, that whilst the cherubim with the flaming sword sternly guard the door of the past, so that there is no possibility of our return (Gen. iii. 24), there is also the angel of the Lord opening up the path before us through the wilderness, and prepared to guide us, if we will, to the brighter Eden that lies beyond (Exod. xxiii. 21, 22) ..,-S. D. H.