Be Strong For I Am With You!!
Reflection: Haggai continues to prophecy to the remnant of Israel and specifically to Joshua, the hi priest and Zerubbabel, the governor. Since Judah was a theocracy, Zerubbabel would have been in charge of governing according to the Old Testament law. Amidst all of the judgment for the things the people had done wrong, today's prophecy is filled with hope. A hope that the house would return to a former day and fill this house with His glory. So God would do His part and for their part he tells them to "be strong". And how could they be strong when they had seen so many things go wrong. He says, "Be strong for I am with you!"
In fact even though were severe consequences for their disobedience as a nation, God had never forgotten His covenant with His people when He delivered them through the Red Sea from Egyptian bondage. For every Jew growing up this was the central image of God's power and that they were His chosen people. As another reminder God states that His Spirit remained with them. When they gathered in worship God's Spirit was with them. At this point the Holy Spirit hadn't fallen on individual persons in a permanent way, but in a corporate sense with His people.
God was going to shake things up literally, and Haggai says that the glory of God's house would be greater than ever before. The other thing Haggai says is to be strong in The Lord and work. Sometimes people think to be strong in The Lord is only a spiritual pursuit, but oftentimes God too calls us to roll up our sleeves and get to work.
This is the same temple Jesus would enter into and begin to reveal the glory of The Lord in. In fact Haggai alludes to this when he says the desire of the nations will come. Nations always means the non-Jews in the Old Testament and Haggai is foreshadowing the the glory of The Lord through Jesus would become what the nations desire.
So what does this mean for us today? Depending on what church you grew up in, and where you experienced God's power, there may be a part of you that longs for the glory days. A church that was once on fire for the Gospel, or a ministry that bore massive fruit for ushering in God's kingdom. Many look at the book of Acts and long for a church that lived in that kind of power and the fruit of many people coming to faith in Jesus and the sick being healed in the power of the Holy Spirit. What would this passage say to us?
Is God's Spirit not still with us? Is God's promise to be with us until the end of the age as we carry out the Great Commission together? And do we not still need to roll up our sleeves and get to work for the greatest and most impactful mission on earth, God's kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven. And if all this is true the only question is: are you and I going to be the people God does this glorious new work through?
At Christmas, we remember that Jesus became one of us so we might become one of His. And we know that he came in a manger and will return in great and promised glory! As you celebrate Christmas May Immanuel God with you, bring light in your darkness and re-kindle the fire for the work God is doing in and through the church today to being the nations to Him!
Verse of the Day: Haggai 2
1 on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
Readings For Today:
Psalm 145:8-16
Haggai 2
Revelation 17:9-18
Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. Exodus 34:21
The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath. Mark 2:27
Our frantic pace convinces us of our worth, God. Let us hear "your Spirit's pleading" that calls us to worship and spiritual renewal. May we find our rest and our worth in you during this season of preparation and waiting. Amen.
In fact even though were severe consequences for their disobedience as a nation, God had never forgotten His covenant with His people when He delivered them through the Red Sea from Egyptian bondage. For every Jew growing up this was the central image of God's power and that they were His chosen people. As another reminder God states that His Spirit remained with them. When they gathered in worship God's Spirit was with them. At this point the Holy Spirit hadn't fallen on individual persons in a permanent way, but in a corporate sense with His people.
God was going to shake things up literally, and Haggai says that the glory of God's house would be greater than ever before. The other thing Haggai says is to be strong in The Lord and work. Sometimes people think to be strong in The Lord is only a spiritual pursuit, but oftentimes God too calls us to roll up our sleeves and get to work.
This is the same temple Jesus would enter into and begin to reveal the glory of The Lord in. In fact Haggai alludes to this when he says the desire of the nations will come. Nations always means the non-Jews in the Old Testament and Haggai is foreshadowing the the glory of The Lord through Jesus would become what the nations desire.
So what does this mean for us today? Depending on what church you grew up in, and where you experienced God's power, there may be a part of you that longs for the glory days. A church that was once on fire for the Gospel, or a ministry that bore massive fruit for ushering in God's kingdom. Many look at the book of Acts and long for a church that lived in that kind of power and the fruit of many people coming to faith in Jesus and the sick being healed in the power of the Holy Spirit. What would this passage say to us?
Is God's Spirit not still with us? Is God's promise to be with us until the end of the age as we carry out the Great Commission together? And do we not still need to roll up our sleeves and get to work for the greatest and most impactful mission on earth, God's kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven. And if all this is true the only question is: are you and I going to be the people God does this glorious new work through?
At Christmas, we remember that Jesus became one of us so we might become one of His. And we know that he came in a manger and will return in great and promised glory! As you celebrate Christmas May Immanuel God with you, bring light in your darkness and re-kindle the fire for the work God is doing in and through the church today to being the nations to Him!
Verse of the Day: Haggai 2
1 on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
Readings For Today:
Psalm 145:8-16
Haggai 2
Revelation 17:9-18
Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. Exodus 34:21
The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath. Mark 2:27
Our frantic pace convinces us of our worth, God. Let us hear "your Spirit's pleading" that calls us to worship and spiritual renewal. May we find our rest and our worth in you during this season of preparation and waiting. Amen.
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