Haggai 1
Zechariah 1 contains God’s Word given to the people of Judah after the Babylonian exile, delivering a message of hope and restoration through the prophet Zechariah. This chapter is organized into exhortation and a call to repentance (verses 1–6), the first vision: the vision of the four horses (verses 7–17), the second vision: the vision of the four horns and the four craftsmen (verses 18–21).
1verseIn the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, the LORD’s word came by Haggai the prophet, to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,
2verse“This is what the LORD of Armies says: These people say, ‘The time hasn’t yet come, the time for the LORD’s house to be built.’”
3verseThen the LORD’s word came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
4verse“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies waste?
5verseNow therefore this is what the LORD of Armies says: ‘Consider your ways.
6verseYou have sown much, and bring in little. You eat, but you don’t have enough. You drink, but you aren’t filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes in it.’
7verse“This is what the LORD of Armies says: ‘Consider your ways.
8verseGo up to the mountain, bring wood, and build the house. I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified,” says the LORD.
9verse“You looked for much, and, behold, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the LORD of Armies, “Because of my house that lies waste, while each of you is busy with his own house.
10verseTherefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit.
11verseI called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on that which the ground produces, on men, on livestock, and on all the labor of the hands.”
12verseThen Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the LORD their God’s voice, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him; and the people feared the LORD.
13verseThen Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, spoke the LORD’s message to the people, saying, “I am with you,” says the LORD.
14verseThe LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of Armies, their God,
15versein the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.
Verses 1–6: An Exhortation to Return to the Lord
- Zechariah sets the scene for the reality the people of Judah face after returning from exile and their spiritual condition.
- God says, “Return to me,” reminding them of the history in which their ancestors were judged for not listening to God’s Word.
- This section includes God’s mercy and patience, along with a request for repentance.
Verses 7–17: The Vision of the Four Horses and the Promise of Restoration
- The first vision Zechariah sees is a scene in which horses of various colors unite to patrol the whole earth.
- In this vision, the prophet confirms God’s will and God’s concern for the people of Judah again.
- The angel announces a promise of restoration, saying that God will “greatly be jealous” for Judah and Jerusalem, that they will receive “compassion” after the suffering Jerusalem has endured until now.
- In particular, it emphasizes that Jerusalem will flourish again and promises God’s presence and protection.
Verses 18–21: The Vision of the Four Horns and the Four Craftsmen
- The four horns symbolize the power of the great powers that scattered Israel and Judah and Jerusalem.
- By raising up the craftsmen against these, God shows a message of hope that the forces of the oppressors will be broken.
- The vision reveals God’s sovereignty and God’s resolve to protect the oppressed people.
Meditation Points
- Let’s think about the need to live by seeking God’s grace rather than staying stuck in past mistakes and habits, and by listening for the voice that says, “Return.”
- Let’s see whether we can hold on to hope in our lives and in our communities by trusting in God’s promise of restoration.
Try Applying It to Yourself
- Let’s examine which parts in the areas of my heart and life need to be turned back to God.
- Even amid the difficulties of reality, let’s consider how it might be to look to God’s restoration and comfort, and to apply that promise specifically to my life.
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