Celebrate the joy of courageously following through.

The exiles who returned to Judah to rebuild the Temple made a good start. They rebuilt God’s altar and laid the foundation of the Temple. But then severe opposition halted the work.

Fourteen years later, the new Temple still sat, only partly completed. The people still said, “The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house” (Haggai 1:2).

Then two prophets rose up, Haggai and Zechariah, urging the leaders and the people to finish what God had sent them to do. On the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles, this word from the Lord came to Haggai:

“Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? But now be strong, Zerubbabel,” declares the Lord. “Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,” declares the Lord, “and work. For I am with you,” declares the Lord Almighty. “This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear” (Hag. 2:3-5).

Feast on the Word

Question: Why is the book of Jeremiah so long (52 chapters), and the book of Haggai so short (2 chapters)? I’d suggest: Before Judah was defeated, the Temple destroyed and the people taken into exile, they did not listen to God, even when he spoke again and again through his prophets. Afterward, the people still did some things wrong. But when God spoke up to correct them, they listened and obeyed. Read and rejoice in:

• the whole story of this amazing change: Ezra 4:1–6:19.
• Haggai’s entire brief prophecy: Haggai 1-2.

Celebrate the Feast

It happens a lot. We make a new start in a good direction. We get in the big middle, run into what seem like insurmountable obstacles – and quit. We tell ourselves it just can’t be done, or the time isn’t right. And we do not realize how very much our unbelief is robbing us of joy.

One Sukkot in Zerubbabel’s day, God told people who had done just that:

Be strong and courageous. Be strong and courageous. Be strong and courageous, and work.

He reminded the people how they could do what they did not believe they could do:

For I am with you. And my Spirit remains among you.

Wonder of wonders: They believed God, got back to work, encountered more obstacles, faced them down and ultimately completed the Temple.

But notice: Shortly after they said yes to God – and took up the work again with hearts set to complete it – God said to them:

From this day on I will bless you (Hag. 2:19).

What is God saying to you through this story from his Word? How does he want you to respond? Will you today experience the blessing, and the joy, that comes when you take courage – and rise up in the power of his Spirit to fully follow through?

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Image © David Ohmer, flickr, Evening Light on Cedar Lake Fountain, CC 2.0

See also

• The intro to this Feast of Tabernacles celebration guide and links to all 8 Days, at Sukkot: The Feast of Joy
• Celebrating God at his appointed times