Haggai 1
Throughout the book of Haggai, I saw a message of priorities and obedience.
Recap: A remnant of Israelites are now back in Jerusalem after being exiled for many years.
The prophet Haggai had some words for the people who were busy rebuilding their lives and not prioritizing God’s demands.
He warns the people “Give careful thoughts to your ways. You have planted much but harvested little.”
He goes on to explain that you feel like you never have enough and aren’t bearing much fruit because your hearts are more concerned about your own wealth and comforts than the will of God. Ouch!
The Lord ordered a drought as punishment, and this was a wake-up call and brought back the fear of the Lord.
It was as if a lightbulb went on, prompting them to realize, “We really need to pay attention. This is how our people ended up in exile in the first place.”
Yet our Lord is gracious, and despite their disappointment, He instructed Haggai to remind the people, “I am with you.” Just 24 days later, they began rebuilding the temple; He had truly captured their attention.
It is important that each day we “give careful thoughts to our ways.”
Are we living for the world, or are we living for God?
We must “go up to the mountains” and give careful thought to the Lord.
Haggai 2
This book of Haggai is aimed at the leaders at the time—Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua and the remnant of the people of Israel.
The Lord took time to remind them He is still with them and to be strong and don’t be afraid while they rebuild the temple.
The temple they were rebuilding will one day be the exact temple our Messiah would worship in and “shake” from the Cross!
Did the people fully understand the immense responsibility God entrusted to them? Did they ever wake up and think, “I have my own house to take care of; I don’t have time to serve in rebuilding the temple.” I can imagine there were days when they felt tempted to prioritize their own needs over God’s work.
This serves as a powerful reminder that we should never underestimate what God has planned when we take on a task. The people rebuilding had no idea that Jesus would eventually be worshiped in that space. Similarly, when God calls us to be obedient, we often can’t foresee the significant impact our actions may have in His kingdom.
Zechariah 1
His prophecies came 2 months after Haggai. Zechariah’s first message was a call to return to the Lord. Zechariah told the people “The Lord was angry with your ancestors. He wants you to return to Him and He will then return to you.”
He warns them to avoid the sins of their ancestors. He wanted them to take a new path and go “all in” for the Lord and His will.
Zechariah had visions from the Holy Spirit.
The first one centered around how God’s reason for judgment was His deep love for Israel. He went to great lengths to preserve a remnant and protect His covenant. They would again experience His presence and flourish as a nation. God’s discipline would be replaced by His mercy, comfort, and favor. Even though the Gentile nations acted as God’s hand of judgment, they would answer for the extreme cruelty with which they treated His chosen people.
God never abandoned His covenant with Abraham, and He never changes His mind about His promises. What I love about the Word of God is how it reveals His heart. In this chapter, we see His forgiveness and faithfulness even when the people were far from Him. What an amazing God we serve!
Zechariah 2
This chapter continues to demonstrate God’s faithfulness to the people of Israel, referring to them as the apple of His eye. I love that we serve a God who considers us the apple of His eye, even when we don’t put Him first or sometimes choose our own will over His. His promise to His people reveals His unwavering faithfulness; He never goes back on His word.
Zechariah 3
Zechariah’s 4th vision centered around Joshua, the high priest, who was on trial, where the judge was Christ and the Prosecutor was Satan. Joshua represented the people of Israel.
In this vision, Joshua was in dirty clothing, which represented sin and shame.
The Lord forgave him and replaced his filthy clothes with clothes of righteousness because of the grace of God—much like the future Messiah will wipe away the sins of the world.
The enemy loses power over us when we bring our “filth” to God and into the light. God changes our “clothing” to reflect what we mean to Him.
Zechariah 4
The fifth vision features a golden lampstand with a bowl and seven lights, symbolizing a steady supply of oil. Zerubbabel, the governor, was entrusted with the vital task of completing the temple’s reconstruction. God reminded him that this would not be accomplished by human power or might, but by His Spirit.
I appreciate how this vision highlights the power of the Holy Spirit and encourages God’s people to rely on that power, as our human strength is limited. Zerubbabel faced opposition because the people expected something grander than the original temple. They didn’t realize that its size and beauty would pale in comparison to the one who would ultimately worship there—Jesus Himself.
Personally, I’ve learned to never underestimate small beginnings, as God doesn’t give as the world gives. We should do what we can to be obedient to the Lord and trust Him with the results.
