The Birthday of Blessing
Archibald G. Brown. Haggai 2:19 Is the seed yet in the barn? yes, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, has not brought forth… The cause of much ill success in life is often to be found in the want of zeal for God's house. The temple was a type of that Church of which every individual believer is a living stone. From the day when the foundation of that temple is laid, the promise of the text is ours. When is the foundation day from which the blessing dates? In one sense it is from everlasting, for God's people are, in purpose, part of the building from before all time. But the day of conversion is the day on which is laid — as far as our experience is concerned — the foundation of our salvation. I. A SPECIFIED DAY. This blessed day goes by different names in Scripture. A day of espousals: the day in which Jesus, our heavenly Bridegroom, wins the heart of His bride. A day of power. It is a mighty act to convert a sinner, infinitely beyond the power of man, and glorifying even to the omnipotence of God. The "day of salvation." This name describes itself. 1. This day often has a cloudy dawning. The day of grace begins before there is actual light. Just before the light breaks in, the power of darkness makes its most desperate resistance. 2. The day has often a secret dawning. There are those who cannot say exactly when or how they were converted. Foolishly they fear they can never have been converted at all, as they are unable to say it was then, and it was there. 3. Sometimes this day has an early, and sometimes a long-delayed dawn. God has no fixed age at which to convert. 4. This day, like all others, has a silent dawn. It is seen, but not heard. 5. The dawning of this day, like the dawning of all other days, is irresistible. If it is the work of God, it must stand. 6. The dawn is but the commencement of the day. The morning is the noon in childhood; the noon is but the dawn fully developed. II. A DECLARED BLESSING. It includes all spiritual blessings; pardon, peace, etc. It rests on all our temporal affairs. It extends to all future things. (Archibald G. Brown.) Parallel Verses KJV: Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you. WEB: Is the seed yet in the barn? Yes, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree haven't brought forth. From this day will I bless you.'"