Day Seven – Haggai 1:12

      Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people showed reverence for the Lord.^[1]

The result of Haggai’s preaching was immediate, the people obeyed. In a perfect world every proclaimed word from the pulpit would bear immediate fruit, but sadly, such is not the reality. It is clear from scripture that ambivalence to the word is not a new challenge, In the Book of James readers are admonished, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). The immediate reception of Haggai’s message is therefore significant, but it is so because the people recognized that “the Lord their God had sent him.”

It is not often that we hear of modern day prophets universally received as having been sent from God. More often than not we see prognosticators of the gospel just as selfish and self-centered as the people to whom they have been sent. In many places emphasis is placed upon the blessings the people will receive and almost nothing on the curses bound to come their way for their disobedience. Consequently, people with itching ears flock to those who will tell them what they want to hear, and when it does not come to pass the people are left disappointed, angry and scarred (2 Timothy 4:3). Perhaps it is no wonder then that the people would receive their message with ambivalence. These Jews who received the word of the prophet, received it as “the voice of the Lord their God” and immediately obeyed.

When you hear the word of the Lord what is your response? Do you change your mind and alter your behavior? Do you set out to turn things around or is it merely an interesting word that, though true and with which you can agree, is not something that moves you beyond the moment in which you received it? There is no better time than the moment to make a decision to obey the voice of the Lord your God. Moses told the Israelites in the wilderness that blessings follow obedience, but curses disobedience (Deuteronomy 28). Make the bold move today to walk in obedience to the voice of the Lord as you have heard it from the mouth of the ones whom He has sent to deliver it and watch the blessings begin to flow.

Dear Lord, how we wish that the response of the remnant of Your people today would be like that of the people in Haggai’s day. We confess, however, that we are often far from them and more like those who ignored or stoned the prophets. We confess that it is often hard to discern what is a true word from You because of all the noises that surround us. Help us to sift through the various sounds to hear what You have to say to us in this day and hour, and having heard motivate us to take the necessary steps that will transform our very lives and that of our communities. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Hag 1:12.