June 16, 2012
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Haggai 1 ~ May the blood of Jesus Christ cleanse us from our sins of selfish solicitude
Please read Zechariah 8 and Haggai 1 ...
The following is an excerpt from Lecture IX. on Zechariah 8, from Rev. Ralph Wardlaw's "Lectures on the Prophecies of Zechariah" (second edition, originally published 1869, (Stoke on Trent: Tentmaker Publications, reprinted 2007), 161-162 (underlining & boldface, mine):
This chapter [Zechariah 8] may be considered as a continuation of the preceding one. In order to the clear understanding of part of its contents, it may not be amiss to notice very briefly some of the "times and seasons" connected with the return from the captivity in Babylon. These we have to gather from the books of Ezra, Esther, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah. But in reading those books as they stand in our Bibles, we are very apt to lose sight of the relation in which they stand to one another in regard to time. Without entering into comparative estimates of different schemes of chronology, we place the decree of Cyrus, by which liberty was given to the Jews to return to Jerusalem and Judea, agreeably to the common reckoning, about the year before Christ 536. In the former part of Ezra, (assuming him to have been the write of the entire book) we have an account of the decree, and of the number and conditions of those who, under the conduct of Zerubbabel, were the first to avail themselves of it, and to make their way back to the land of their fathers. He tells us also of the rebuilding of the temple; which, we learn from Haggai, was set about at the first with no great spirit of zeal, and union, and perseverance, and was interrupted and abandoned from a selfish solicitude regarding their own personal and domestic accommodation; but which, by the divine chastisements for this, and the reproofs, exhortations, and encouragements of himself and Zechariah in the name of Jehovah––was resumed with greater alacrity and brought to its completion. This was about twenty years from the time of the first return on the decree of Cyrus. The delay had arisen, not solely from the lethargy of the Jews, but from the interruption of their works by their enemies, and the influence used by them with the kings of Persia, until the decree of Cyrus was discovered by Darius Hystaspes, and orders were given by that prince for its speedy execution, and for assistance towards this from the royal bounty.Haggai 1:3-4 Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? ... "
Our Holy and Heavenly Father,
Though the Church today here in the western world lies not in physical ruination like the temple and the city of Jerusalem (as was the case in the days of Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, and Nehemiah), she does lie in great spiritual ruination, and there is much rebuilding to be done. As in those days of return from exile, You are once again stirring up Your people and calling them to the work of rebuilding in Your strength, but not with swords, stones, trowels, and mortar, but with the spiritual weapons of prayer and the ministry of the Word.
Throughout the rebuilding process in the post-exilic period, we know that Your people continually faced temptations from their flesh, distractions from within the camp, as well as opposition from enemies from without, so the work of rebuilding the temple and Jerusalem might be hindered and left incomplete. And we know that are in no different of a situation today, as we continue to battle against our flesh, the world, and the devil.
Though we should have a healthy solicitude regarding our own personal and domestic accommodation here on this earth, for we do have earthly bodies and families and possessions to care for in this life, and You do call us to be good and responsible stewards – yet ever so quickly we know that our just and proper concerns for ourselves and our families can morph and degrade into selfish, sinful concerns. We confess and repent how we can become consumed and controlled by the earthly, at which point we have little to no concern to be about Your business and about the kingdom of Your Son. Our Father, have mercy on us and forgive us our sins, for Jesus' sake. May the blood of Jesus Christ cleanse us from our sins of selfish solicitude. We acknowledge how even our best desires can become corrupted and tainted. Strengthen us, Holy Spirit, to gird up the loins of our minds, so God's kingdom work might not be interrupted and abandoned due to selfish solicitude on our part. Guard us and keep us single-eyed and whole-hearted for You, that we might fix our eyes on Jesus, set our affections on things above, seek first Your kingdom, and entrust our own keeping and care as well as our families' keeping and care to You –– to trust You to provide for ourselves and our families, just as You so wondrously feed the birds of the air and so marvelously clothe the lilies of the field.
Strengthen us to set You, O LORD our God, always before us, that we might guard our hearts and minds so we might not have a selfish, sinful solicitude regarding our own homes, our own business, our own kingdoms, and our own families to the sinful, lethargic neglect of Your Church, Your business, Your kingdom, and Your family, as had happened after the exile. Baptize us afresh with Your Holy Spirit that we might know in increasing measure Your love, mercy, and grace in Christ Jesus, that You might fill our vision and we might be consumed with a holy solicitude for You, for You are the LORD our God who chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, You bought us with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, You are a jealous God, and we are to have no other gods before You.
We come to You and we ask these things for the sake of Your renown in Your Church and among all the nations in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
* Please add YOUR PRAYERS as God's Holy Spirit leads you. *Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Montifringilla_nivalis_-Trentino.jpg / http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
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Comments (1)
Dear Father,
You have shown me through this post that my "little" is not so insignificant that I should withhold it waiting for greater works and means to become available. We are to pray and not faint, give without regret, and work at whatever your Holy Spirit leads us to do. I see my reluctance to help, not as a humble attitude, but as disobedience to your call. May I be used as an example of one who trust in You for the results, for if all Your people would do that, we would see Your mighty hand in it. Forgive us for acting as though we need to compete with the world, the flesh, and the devil and to use means that so much resemble those very things. We have been praying for Your Spirit to fall on us again and to revive our flagging spirits. It seems to me now that I need to pray for revival for myself for Your sake and for Your glory. I am trusting in Jesus, my Lord and savior in Whose Name I pray, Amen.