February 8

Straight from the Pastor’s heart by Dr. Hernes Abante

Consider Your Ways

Haggai 1:5-7 - “Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.”

Haggai lived for more than seventy years when he delivered his prophecies. He was an older man who had witnessed the glorious days of his nation, and his prophetic words were infused with an intense desire to see his people rise from the ashes of exile and reclaim their rightful place as God’s light to the nations.

His message came during a time of great vulnerability for the people of Judah. Having suffered the humiliation of exile in Babylon and then returned to their Promised Land with hope, the Jews were now facing discouragement due to opposition to their rebuilding of the temple.

Sixteen years had passed since their return to their homeland, and the people had given up on their efforts. Haggai's message was a powerful call to the Jews to rebuild the Lord's house, as he blamed their lack of food, clothing, and shelter on their failure to do so. The people were receptive to his message, and they rallied to the call to rebuild the temple and restore the glory of their nation.

Seeking to challenge the people of God concerning their priorities, he called them not to be discouraged because this Temple would not be quite as richly decorated as Solomon’s. He exhorted them to turn from the uncleanness of their ways and to trust in God’s sovereign power.

The Book of Haggai is a reminder of the problems the people of God faced at this time, how they courageously trusted in God, and how God provided for their needs.

God sought to warn the people to heed His words. Not only did God warn them, but He also offered promises through His servant Haggai to motivate them to follow Him.

Because the people of God reversed their priorities and failed to put God in first place in their lives, Judah was sent into Babylonian exile. In response to Daniel’s prayer and fulfilling God’s promises, God directed Cyrus, the Persian king, to allow the Jews in exile to return to Jerusalem.

A group of Jews returned to their land with great joy, put God first in their lives, worshiped Him, and began to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem without the aid of the local people who lived in Israel. Their courageous faith was met with opposition from the local people and the Persian government for approximately 15 years.

As with most of the books of the minor prophets, Haggai ends with promises of restoration and blessing. Through Haggai, God promises to make Zerubbabel like a signet ring, a symbol of honor, authority, and power, somewhat like a king’s scepter to seal letters and decrees.

As God’s signet ring, Zerubbabel represents the house of David and the resumption of the messianic line interrupted by the Exile. He re-established the Davidic line of kings, which would culminate in the millennial reign of Christ. He appears in the line of Christ on both Joseph’s and Mary’s sides.

Haggai reminds us of the common struggles that we all face, even in today's world. In response to these challenges, Haggai encourages us to examine our priorities, reject defeatist attitudes, confess our failures, act courageously for God, and rest secure in His hands. By doing so, we can find inspiration and assurance in knowing that God is always with us, in control of our circumstances, and ready to bless us as we faithfully serve Him abundantly.

Our Prayer for today:

Our Gracious Father, thank You for reminding us through Haggai that we must always consider our ways. We become so absorbed with ourselves that we have failed to consider Your desires. Because of this, we were unable to enjoy and appreciate Your blessings. May we always consider Your will and desires in everything we do. Amen!