The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of hosts.
Read Chapter 2
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
Surely the glory of the house of the New Testament is greater than that of the old because it was built of better materials, namely, those living stones that are human beings renewed by faith and grace. Yet precisely because Solomon’s temple was renovated—was made new—it was a prophetic symbol of the second Testament which is called the New. Accordingly we must understand the words God spoke by Haggai’s mouth, “And I will give peace in that place,” as referring to the place for which the temple stood. Since the restored temple signified the church, which Christ was to build, those words can mean only “I will give peace in that place [the church] which this place [the rebuilt temple] prefigures.” (All symbols seem in some way to personify the realities of which they are symbols. So, St. Paul says, “The rock was Christ,” because the rock in question symbolized Christ.) Not, however, until the house of the New Testament receives its final consecration will its greater glory in relation to...
But this is not the fault of gold and silver. Let us suppose that someone of tender heart has found a treasure. The kindness of his heart works, does it not, so that hospitality is shown to strangers, the starving are fed, the naked clothed, the needy assisted, captives redeemed, churches are built, the weary are refreshed, the quarrelsome pacified, the shipwrecked set on their feet again, the sick cured—material resources distributed on earth, spiritual ones stored up in heaven? Who does all this? The good and kindhearted person. What does he do it with? Gold and silver. Whom is he serving when he does it? The one who says, “Mine is the gold and mine is the silver.” Now, brothers, I think you can see what a great mistake it is, what lunacy indeed, to project onto the things which people misuse the offense of the people who misuse them. If gold and silver, after all, can be blamed simply because people warped by avarice and neglecting the commands of the Creator are carried away by an ...
Riches, gold and silver, are not the devil’s as some think, for “the whole world of riches is for the faithful man, but for the unfaithful not a farthing.” But nothing is more faithless than the devil. God through the prophet says plainly, “Mine is the silver, and mine is the gold.” Only use it well and there is nothing blameworthy in silver; but when you abuse a good thing and are then unwilling to blame your own conduct, you impiously put the blame on the Creator. One can even be blessed by money. “I was hungry, and you gave me to eat”—undoubtedly by the use of money; “I was naked and you covered me”—assuredly by the use of money. Consider too that money can be a door to the heavenly kingdom. “Sell,” he says, “what you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven.”
Desired. Jacob styles him the expectation of nations, (Genesis xlix.) because He was wanting, and always necessary for all. (Worthington)
Thus the sick desire a remedy, though they know not what it is. The Gentiles were ignorant of the Messias; yet he was still desirable and most lovely, Canticle of Canticles v. 16. (Calmet)
Many also, like Job, had a lively expectation of their Redeemer's coming from the tradition of the patriarchs. (Haydock)
Hebrew, "the desires of all nations shall come: "(Haydock) venient. Septuagint, "the chosen things "Christ shall come for all, (Calmet) and the elect shall meet him with eagerness. (Haydock)
In vain do the Jews attempt to contest this prediction. Was not the Messias to be desired? and has not Jesus Christ procured the greatest advantages for mankind?
