REMEMBER your PAST and ‘BOLDLY’ FACE your PRESENT!
October 1 Bible Reading: Haggai Chapters 1-2
REMEMBER your PAST and ‘BOLDLY’ FACE your PRESENT!
'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how
do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,' says
the Lord; 'and be strong, Joshua,
son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be
strong, all you people of the land,' says the Lord, 'and work; for I am with you,' says the Lord of hosts. (Haggai
2:3-4)
Haggai
was a contemporary of Zerubbabel the governor and Zechariah the prophet (see Haggai
1:1; 2:2; Ezra 5:1; 6:14). Haggai prophesied during a period about 18 years
after the Persian king Cyrus had permitted the Jews to return to their homeland
from exile in Babylon. Despite this length of time, the second temple remained
unfinished, and Haggai’s messages urged the people of Jerusalem to complete the
task. His message was bold and practical. In the words of Frank
Gaebelein: “Few prophets have succeeded
in packing into such brief compass so much spiritual common sense as Haggai
did.”
The
people in Haggai’s time had become discouraged with the new building,
especially when they thought of the glory of the former temple of Solomon,
which was one of the wonders of the
ancient world (see 1 Kings 6). The aged persons, who were able to recall the
magnificence of Solomon’s temple, found big difference between the grandeur of
the two buildings. Despite the difference in the external architecture, God was
present in this temple as well, which made up for all the shortage (v. 4).
In
the above passage, it was Jehovah God who makes the comparison between the
present temple and Solomon’s temple, which was predominant in the minds of the
people of Israel. By comparison, the new temple seemed “as nothing” in their eyes when compared to the old. In fact, Ezra
confirms that at the laying of the foundation of the Temple, many of the older
people who had seen Solomon’s temple wept during that ceremony. How gracious of God to recognize their deep
concern and grief!
In
the similar fashion, many of us today are discouraged when we remember our past
glorious days. What we should understand is that God did not discourage the leaders of Israel in
Haggai’s time from honoring their glorious past, but He did exhort them to turn
their eyes toward the present. He challenged the leaders and the people with
these words: “Be strong and work; for I
am with you” (2:4). Their newly constructed temple may not bring back the
days of Solomon, but it would at least be
a structure they could be proud of!
Many
scriptures encourage us to remember and honor the past, but they also urge us
to face the reality of the present. God is at work today, just as He was at
work yesterday. God’s Spirit remains with us today (see John 14:16–17), just as
He was with believers in times past. If we cooperate with what the Holy Spirit
is doing today, we will bring even
greater glory to God and accomplish even greater ministry than has yet been
seen!
Let
us beware that golden memories do not rob us of utilizing our present
opportunities. God calls us to meet the needs of today, so even though we
remember the past and what God has accomplished for us before, let us boldly
face the present with courage and conviction knowing well that He has promised
to be at our side for our help until the end of the age!
