THE GOOD OLD DAYS
"Be ye not as
your fathers......" Zech. 1:4
This book has been aptly described as the
Apocalypse of the Old Testament, on account of its visual representation of
the history of Israel up to the time when it is completely restored. Zechariah
was contemporary with Haggai, and helped him in his particular work. His first
message (1:1-6) was delivered about
a month after. Haggai's second message; his second, consisting of visions (1:7-6:15), two months after Haggai's
latest; his third, consisting of voices (7-8),
nearly two years later; whilst his last concerning the king (9-14) was delivered after the temple
was completed, at least four years after Haggai. These words are taken from the
first message. The people were looking back, and lamenting the past greatness
of the glory of the Temple. Haggai had told them that the glory of the latter
house should exceed that of the former. Zechariah reinforced the appeal of
Haggai from another standpoint. He charged them to learn the true lesson of
the backward look, that of how THE GLORY WAS LOST THROUGH THE DISOBEDIENCE OF
THE FATHERS TO THE WORD OF GOD. That was, and is, a beneficial word. It is a
persistent habit, this of talking of "the good old days," and so
weakening our powers to serve our own age. It is healthy that we be reminded
that in many ways THEY WERE BAD OLD DAYS; and that we take warning from the FAILURES
OF THE PAST, and so MAKE OUR WORK OF A MORE ABIDING NATURE.
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