After asking
the leaders and people of Israel who saw the temple “in her
first glory” and how they saw “it now”, the LORD
through Haggai the prophet told them to “be strong”
because He was “with them”. In chapter two and verse five
of his prophesy, Haggai make reference to the “covenant”
God made with them when they “came out of Egypt”, and
promised His “spirit remains among” them now. We read:
so my
spirit remains among you: fear not.
The
verse begins, “According to
the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt,...”
Haggai began
with the phrase, “According to the
word”
which is the Hebrew word “dabar” and means “speech, utterance,
business, occupation, acts, matter or case” “that
I covenanted”
which literally means “to cut off, down or hew” and refers to the
LORD “making a league” “with you”
which refers to the leaders and people of Israel” “when
you came out”
or “exited, went out, departed or preceded from” “of
Egypt”
which means “land of the Copts” and refers to “the country
at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and
through which the Nile flows”.
The LORD covenanted with Israel that “He” would be “with
them” when
they left the captivity of Egypt, and the LORD through Haggai refers
to that former time as a testimony to the present.
The
verse goes on to say, “... so my spirit remains among you: fear
not.” The LORD continued through Haggai, “so my spirit”
or “breath, mind, vivacity, vigor and courage” “remains”
which means “stands, endures, continues, abides, endures, persists,
holds one's ground, and is stedfast” “among you” which
refers to the leaders and the people of Israel: “fear not”
which means “do not be afraid”. When the “Spirit of
the LORD” is with the people of Israel, they will have no
reason to fear.
When
we think through these words of Haggai, we see the great benefit to
“the spirit of the LORD” being with the people of Israel.
Their hearts and minds could be comforted by God's presence, and no
matter what they were to face in their future, the fact that the LORD
was with them should not only give them comfort, but a confidence
without fear that He will handle anything they encounter. What about
us? Do we have the “Spirit of the LORD with” us? Do we
recognize it at all times? That which the LORD promised for Israel is
available to us through His Son Jesus Christ, and when we recognize
the presence of “the Spirit of the LORD” in our lives, all
fear will leave, and we will not be afraid any more.
Next
time the LORD shares how He will “shake” “the
heavens, earth, sea and dry land”,
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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