Thoughts for the Day

In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: This people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider how you have fared. You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes.

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider how you have fared. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may appear in my glory, says the LORD. You have looked for much, and lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? says the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while you busy yourselves each with his own house.

(Lectionary New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

We have seen how Yahweh stirred up secular leaders like Cyrus and Darius to bring His people back from Babylon, and get His Temple rebuilt in Jerusalem after its destruction. But God also raised up two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to help with this work. When the people had first returned they had been faced with a scene of devastation - fields and orchards strewn with desert sand, and then years of drought succeeded one another. The shortage of food as well as the reaction of those who had remained in the ruins of Jerusalem meant they had lost the will to rebuild the Temple.

The prophet Haggai sees the droughts as God's warning signs, and argues that God is challenging the people, saying: "You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes." All this has happened says the Lord "Because of my house that lies in ruins".

God works through those who turn to Him and who ask for His help. Haggai's appeal will work because God is with Him. It is no different today, we are witnessing great destruction in our world, but also like Haggai we can remind others to keep going forward. We should listen to God's voice alone, ignoring the voices of the world that are shrill with anger and hatred, for our God protects, heals, restores, and is with us always.

Lord God,
You called Haggai to be a prophet,
to call Your people back to Yourself.
We pray that in this tumultuous world
You will call us to work for You
in any way that we can,
and that we will find the courage
to listen and to respond
to Your messages of peace and love.
Amen.