Haggai 1:1

In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,^[1]

The book of Haggai is very short but extremely powerful. It consists of four major messages that deal with the rebuilding of the temple, the promise of glory, purification of the people, and the promise God makes to the Jewish governor, Zerubbabel. The major players we encounter are the aforementioned governor, and the high priest of Jerusalem, Joshua. It is thought that these messages were all written during a four-month period somewhere around 520 B.C. when the Persian king Darius was in the second year of his reign.

What should we take from this one verse today? Simply this: the word of the Lord came by and through the prophet of the Lord to specific individuals making it a ramah word for them, and a logos word for us. The difference being that a logos word is a general word about God, but a ramah word is tailor made for a specific person or persons. That is not to say that what we read in Haggai is neither relevant or important, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16). It does tells us that God was in that day and still remains to this day active in the affairs of His people. When He wants to speak, though He will always remain true to His Word, He will use anointed vessels like Haggai (whom we know virtually nothing about beyond this book and his mention in the book of Ezra) to announce it.

What have you heard through the man or woman of God? What did God speak to you that you have yet to put into practice? It may not be a specific word to you, but it is still God’s Word for you. Today, let us make a conscious effort to put it into practice. As James writes, “Do not merely listen to the word (and I would add or read the word), and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:21).

Dear Lord, thank you for the wonderful words of life you speak through Your messengers and through Your Word. Forgive us for the times we have trivialized it and ignored it thinking it was not for us. Remind us today of the things You have spoken to us and move us to perform it in our lives. We surrender ourselves to You today to led and guided by You in all we say and do, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Hag 1:1.