“‘I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies; My house shall be built in it,’ saith the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 1:16
Dear Ones:
There is a very visible, and clear, pattern that we discover in God’s dealings with man. It has been established for us to see and understand from the beginning of the world. It is simply that He speaks, and calls man to believe and obey Him, or rather, to trust and obey. Such was the case when, after returning to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon, the people began work on rebuilding the temple. However, the work was halted due to the resistance of Israel’s enemies. For approximately sixteen years, no work was done on the temple. That which changed things, even in the face of opposition, and the apparent “smallness” of the endeavor as opposed to the glory of Solomon’s temple, was the fact that God spoke…specifically through two of His servants, Haggai and Zechariah. When “the word of the Lord” came, things changed.
Haggai was a prophet of the Lord, who lived among those who had returned to Jerusalem from exile. Even though he was a “prophet,” there is little or no account of him proclaiming the “word of the Lord” with much effect, during this dormant period, where no work was done on the temple. In his book, Haggai specifically states the date at which all of that changed. He wrote: “In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet.” (1:1) What does this verse tell us? It reveals to us that God’s time had come. His time had come in His sovereignty, to speak through his prophets, first of all, to two key men, Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and Joshua, the high priest. The Lord’s word would then be directed to the people, to awaken the people to the reality of their spiritual condition, their need. They had, like the Laodicean church mentioned in the book of Revelation, settled down in the comfort of their homes, exchanging the true, spiritual blessing of God, for limited material blessing. They had lost the vision of pressing on to finish the work of the temple, for His glory. As a result, they were admonished to “Consider their (your) ways.” (1:4) With the coming of the word of the Lord, a spiritual awakening would occur. God through men would build His temple.
Haggai’s message, or specific “word of the Lord,” dealt with time and the blessing of God. The condition into which the people had drifted spiritually, limited the blessing of God which He desired and willed to work in and through the people. The first question addressed to them was, “Is it time…to dwell in your paneled houses, and this HOUSE lies waste?” The Lord’s point was very clear: NOW was the time to resume the work of the temple. The leaders, as well as the people, were convicted by the word of the Lord, and they did “fear before the Lord.” (v.12) The Lord “stirred up” the spirit of the leaders, and the people, so much so with conviction, assurance, and strength, that “…they came and did work in the house of the Lord.” (v.14)
In the case of Zechariah, the Lord would use several visions to make clear His will to the people. In those visions, the Lord would elevate the people’s concepts, to once again see that the building of the temple was a heavenly, eternal matter. Again, God would speak specifically, the level of the prophet’s voice rising to a “cry:” “…I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.” 1:14) Here the people are confronted, not only with the objective words of God, powerful as they may be, but they are brought face to face with the intensity and will of His very heart. His promise is to be believed: “I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house SHALL be built in it.” (Zech. 1:16)
Dear Father, Speak to our hearts today, stirring us up to seek Thy face. Give us grace never to exchange the physical for the spiritual in our worship of Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad