Be Strong ... And Work

by Toms, A. F. | Category: General | Feb 1972

Haggai was a prophet who spoke straight to the heart. "Set your heart on your ways" is an expression which occurs four times in his brief messages. He was the LORD'S messenger in the LORD'S message at a time when the people of God had become discouraged. The foundation of God's house had been laid, but there the work had ceased. For sixteen years the foundation lay as a constant reminder of an unfinished task. One of the reasons for the cessation of the work was the persecution of the adversaries, who weakened their hands and troubled them in building (Ezra 4:4). But from Haggai we learn that there was a deeper, underlying reason. The people had put their own things before God's things and they were excusing themselves by saying, "It is not ... the time for the LORD'8 house to be built". But those were lean days for them, despite the fact that they were paying so much attention to their own things. They looked for much but it came to little. It was as though they were putting their wages into a bag with holes. They must have been much perplexed until God sent His servant to explain the reason. "For your sake the heaven is stayed from dew", He said. On the surface it seemed to be very much against them. But no, God said, it was for their sake, for their good. It was His chastening hand, for only when they had been brought low would they be ready to receive His message through His prophet. And a very heartsearching message it was.

God took them up on what they were saying, and He asked a pertinent question. "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses, while this house lieth waste?" That was the issue. It was God's house versus their houses. Again in verse 9 He said, "Because of Mine house that lieth waste, while ye run every man to his own house". Mine house... your houses. Which was to be first? It is an age-old question containing a principle of prime importance to God's people in every age. There can be no spiritual prosperity as long as our own things take precedence over God's holy things. "They all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 2:21). "Seek ye first His kingdom, and His righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto you". God will bless our things as we put His things first.

"Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house and I will take pleasure in it". It was small and poor compared with the temple Solomon built, which some of the older men remembered. Indeed, when the foundation was laid the old men wept. But the old men were wrong that day. "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of Hosts", and God could easily have provided both for the re-building of His house had He so desired. It is evident that the size of the house or the wealth which went into it was of little consequence to the LORD, compared to the obedient hearts building according to His word. The obedience of willing hearts is what God prizes today as then.

It is true the re-built house was small; so small that God asked, "Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? And how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes as nothing?" But they were not to despise it. "Who hath despised the day of small things?" (Zech. 4:10). "I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD". Shall men despise that which God takes pleasure in? If they do, it will be to their own deep loss.

These also are days of building for God, and as in Joshua and Zerubbabel's day it is but a remnant band who are busy in the work. In that day they worked according to the law of Moses the man of God (Ezra 3:2). Their numbers were limited to those who were willing to build to the pattern. And so today. It is upon "the foundation of the apostles and prophets" we build, and in line with the teaching of the Lord Jesus, "Christ Jesus Himself being the Chief Corner Stone" (Eph. 2:20). "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you" is His unchanging word. We must not depart from that. In the teaching of the Lord and His apostles we have the pattern for our building today. "Hold the pattern of sound words" is an injunction as binding upon us as it was upon Timothy, if we would gain for our work the divine approbation, "I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD".

"Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build". There was hard work involved. Trees had to be felled and sawn and trimmed to shape, and then built into the house. It was toil that called for strength. But when their spirits were stirred their hands were strong. And is that not a precious word in Ezra 5:2, "and with them were the prophets of God, helping them"? God's prophets were not averse to some hard work themselves. Doubtless they knew it would lend weight to their message. The Lord's people will more readily follow the lead of men who by their own example show the way when there is some hard work to be done.

And so the call went out, "be strong ... be strong ... be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work; for I am with you, saith the LORD of Hosts". We echo the word today for the encouragement of every heart in every land which is set on building for God according to His Word.

Toms, A. F. | Feb 1972
General