Haggai, A Time to Build by George Hutcheson
Haggai, A Time to Build, by George Hutcheson, published by Reformation Press in their Scottish Heritage series, paperback, 67 pages, £5.70, obtainable from the Free Presbyterian Bookroom.
George Hutcheson (1626-74) was a noted minister of Covenanting times, in both Ayrshire and Edinburgh. This slim book is a section of a commentary he wrote on the Minor Prophets (Hosea to Malachi). His commentary on the Gospel of John was republished, by the Banner of Truth Trust, in 1972. Both these works were originally contributions to a series of popular expositions of Scripture, which had David Dickson as the driving force. Among them was Alexander Nisbet on Ecclesiastes, the last chapter of which was reprinted by Reformation Press as Preparing for Eternity (reviewed in the December 2019 issue of this Magazine).
Haggai’s prophecies were addressed to the Jews after the return from captivity. In common with other commentaries in this series, Hutcheson gives a brief explanation of a verse or group of verses, followed by a number of “observations”, giving profitable applications of the scriptures he has explained.
Here are two examples of these observations: “The Church is to confirm her own faith in the truth of promises by considering, not what she is in herself or what her condition can promise, but by looking to what God’s power and providence can make her and do for her”; “The foundation of the Church’s happiness stands on Christ’s having been obedient to His Father as her surety, on His interest in the Father’s affection, and that He is the only chosen way of safety which the Father has found out and wherein He acquiesces”. Words and expressions which have fallen out of use since Hutcheson’s day are explained in brackets.
In his Commenting and Commentaries, Spurgeon says about Hutcheson’s work on the Minor Prophets: “Get it. Hutcheson is always rich. He resembles Dickson.” It is good to see further examples of the rich spiritual treasures of Scotland’s past being made available again.