Because
of the people's neglect for the rebuilding of the temple of the LORD,
the LORD “called for a drought upon the
land, the mountains, the corn, the new wine, the oil, and upon that
which the ground brings forth, upon men, upon cattle, and upon all
the labor of the hands”. In chapter one and
verse twelve, Haggai shares about the “obedience
and fear before the LORD” which was
exhibited by the leaders and people. We read:
Then
Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the
high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of
the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD
their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.
The
verse begins, “Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and
Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of
the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God,...” Haggai
began with, “Then Zerubabbel”
whose name means “sown in Babylon” and was “the grandson
of king Jehoiachin and leader of the first group of returning exiles
from Babylon” “the
son” or “child”
“of Shealtiel” whose name
means “I have asked of God” and was “the son of king Jehoiachin
or Jeconiah or Coniah of Judah and uncle of Zerubbabel and father of
Zerubbabel” “and Joshua”
whose name means “Jehovah is Salvation” and was “the son of
Jehozadak and high priest after the restoration from Babylon” “the
son” or “child” “of
Josedech” or “Jehovah is
righteous” who was “grandson of the high priest Hilkiah; son of
the high priest Seraiah; and father of the high priest Joshua; he
never attained the office of high priest himself because he was
carried captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar” “the high
priest” which means “greatest
in importance principal officer or chief ruler and officiating one”
“with all the remnant”
or “rest, residue, remainder, what is left and descendants”
“of the people” which refers
to “the nation, compatriots, country-men, kinsmen and kindred”
“obeyed” or “heard
and complied with” “the voice”
which means “sound and noise” “of the LORD”
or “Yehovah or Jehovah” whose name means “the existing One”
and “the name of the one true God” “their God”
which literally means “the divine ruler and judge” and refers to
“the true God”. Not only did the leaders within the Israelite
nation “listen to and obey”
“the voice of the LORD”,
but the general population did as well.
The
verse goes on to say, “...and the words of Haggai the
prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear
before the LORD.” Haggai
continued “and the words”
or “speech, sayings and utterances” “of Haggai”
whose name means “festive” and was “the tenth in order
of the minor prophets; first prophet to prophecy after the captivity”
“the prophet” or
“spokesman, speaker and inspired man” “as the LORD”
or “Yehovah or Jehovah” whose name means “the existing One”
and “the proper name of the one true God” “their God”
which refers to “the true God” “had sent him”
which means “stretched out, let go, set free and sent off, ” “and
the people” or “the nation,
compatriots, country-men, kinsmen and kindred” “did
fear” which means “revere,
be afraid of, reverence, honor, respect, astonish, and held in awe”
“before the LORD”
which means “in the presence of Yehovah or Jehovah who is the
existing One and the proper name for the one true God”. Not only
did the people “obey”
the “word of the LORD”,
but they heeded the words of Haggai the prophet too.
When
we think about these words of Haggai, we can almost imagine a point
when the Israelite leaders and people decided to “listen to” and
“heed” the word of the LORD. Certainly they examined the evidence
put before them regarding the “drought”
of their properties and possessions, and perhaps this motivated their
change of mind. It is noteworthy that this had widespread effect upon
the people, and rather than seeking their own houses first, they now
stood in “awe” and “respect” toward the things of God. This
is the way it is when people put “Jesus” and His kingdom first in
their lives. This not only affects the individuals involved, but also
has complete influence upon the entire nation. May we be people who
regardless of our position within our country “obey”
the voice of the LORD, turn from
our negligent ways, and prioritize our relationship with Jesus Christ
our LORD and God the Father and Creator of all.
Next
time the LORD tells the Israelites through Haggai, “I am
with you”, so read ahead, and
we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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