Two hundred years ago, Judeo-Christian values dominated the western world. Disciples of Jesus operated in an environment that was very conducive to Christianity. However, over the past couple centuries that has changed. Today the western world is very hostile to Christianity and Judeo-Christian values. Consequently, many followers of Jesus feel weak and helpless.
Something similar happened to the Israelites between 1000BC and 400BC. They went from being strong to being weak. At their moment of weakness, Yahweh used Haggai the prophet to tell them to be strong because He was with them. This is a reminder that Christians today can also be strong because Jesus is with us.
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Transcript:
Two hundred years ago, Judeo-Christian values dominated the western world. Disciples of Jesus operated in an environment that was very conducive to Christianity. However, over the past couple centuries that has changed. Today the western world is very hostile to Christianity and Judeo-Christian values. Consequently, many followers of Jesus feel weak and helpless.
Something similar happened to the Israelites between 1000BC and 400BC. They went from being strong to being weak. At their moment of weakness, Yahweh used Haggai the prophet to tell them to be strong because He was with them. This is a reminder that Christians today can also be strong because Jesus is with us.
Around 1000BC Solomon built a temple in Jerusalem which was the centerpiece of Israelite religion. It was a fabulous and expensive building. However, the Israelites were sinful and worshipped many idols. Therefore, in 586BC Yahweh punished the Israelites by allowing the Babylonians to conquer Jerusalem and destroy the temple.
Roughly 70 years later, some Jews were allowed to travel back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city, however, they were slack in rebuilding the temple. Yahweh sent prophets to confront their lack of action. Haggai was one of those prophets.
In the first 11 verses of Haggai, Yahweh informed the Jews that the reason their crops were failing and they didn’t have enough food, drink, or money was because they had built houses for themselves, but had neglected Yahweh’s temple. Verses 12-15 tell us the Jews responded to that message and started rebuilding the temple.
Hag. 2:1 On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of Yahweh came by the hand of Haggai the prophet saying,
This message came on the 21st day of the seventh month. According to Haggai 1:15, they had started rebuilding the temple on the 24th day of the sixth month, meaning this message came about one month after the building project started.
2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people saying,
3 ‘Who among you remains who saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem like nothing in your eyes?
Apparently some of the Jews who were rebuilding were old enough to remember Solomon’s temple. Solomon’s temple had been a very impressive structure. Solomon was strong and wealthy and had the means to build a huge and expensive building. Yahweh asked the elderly people to compare the two buildings. Yahweh’s point was the second temple was nothing compared to Solomon’s temple.
Yahweh was not telling them they should have been building something that would rival Solomon’s temple. They did not have the people nor the wealth to do that. Instead, Yahweh’s question pointed out the depths to which the Jews had fallen, compared to the glory of the days of Solomon.
4 But now, be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares Yahweh, ‘be strong also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land, be strong,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares Yahweh of hosts.
Yahweh used the word strong three times. Zerubbabel was the governor. Joshua was the high priest. Yahweh told the governor, the high priest, and the people to be strong.
That was a counter-intuitive message. Politically, the Jews were weak. The settlement in Jerusalem was small and vulnerable. The temple they were building was a shadow of Solomon’s great temple. It was normal for the Jews to feel weak and helpless. However, Yahweh told them to be strong because He was with them.
5 ‘As for the promise which I cut with you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is standing in your midst; do not fear!’
Yahweh told them to be strong because He was in their midst. When He brought them out of Egypt, He established the Passover, the Mosaic Law, and Himself as their God. The Jews had Yahweh Himself, the Creator of the universe, on their side.
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Hag. 2:6 For thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Once more—in a little while—I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.
Despite all the challenges the Jews were facing, Yahweh was still in control. Their current situation would not last forever.
7 And I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the desirable things of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says Yahweh of hosts.
Yahweh promised that His house would once again be filled with glory.
8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ declares Yahweh of hosts.
Solomon’s temple had been full of silver and gold. Since Yahweh owns the silver and gold, He has the ability to fill His house with gold and silver at any time of His choosing.
9 ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says Yahweh of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares Yahweh of hosts.”
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Even though the Jews were at a low place, their future and the future of Yahweh’s temple was very bright. Therefore, the Jews had reason to be strong. Their God was far more powerful than all the nations who surrounded them and oppressed them.
Today, many Christians feel weak and helpless because our world is dominated by forces that are opposed to Judeo-Christian values. However, we can and should be strong because Jesus is on our side. Jesus is the greatest power in the universe. Someday, He will fulfill His promises to return to earth and set up His kingdom.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”