Reading
Haggai 2:10-19

10In the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, Yahweh’s word came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11“Yahweh of Armies says: Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, 12‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with his fold touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any food, will it become holy?’”

The priests answered, “No.”

13Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean by reason of a dead body touch any of these, will it be unclean?”

The priests answered, “It will be unclean.”

14Then Haggai answered, “‘So is this people, and so is this nation before me,’ says Yahweh; ‘and so is every work of their hands. That which they offer there is unclean. 15Now, please consider from this day and backward, before a stone was laid on a stone in Yahweh’s temple. 16Through all that time, when one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty, there were only twenty. 17I struck you with blight, mildew, and hail in all the work of your hands; yet you didn’t turn to me,’ says Yahweh. 18‘Consider, please, from this day and backward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, since the day that the foundation of Yahweh’s temple was laid, consider it. 19Is the seed yet in the barn? Yes, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree haven’t produced. From today I will bless you.’”


Devotional

God knows his people well and through Haggai he asks them some unusual questions about the purity laws for Leviticus.  A more modern way of asking the question would be something like this; if you put dirty dishes in a cupboard with clean dishes, will the dirty ones become clean or the clean ones become dirty?  Of course, the answer is the clean ones will become dirty.  God is charging his people with the task of remaining faithful and obedient and not to defile his temple with sin as they had done in the past.

 

Then he makes a promise to Zerubbabel in re-establishing his covenant through him.  God tells him he will make him to be a like signet ring or royal seal for in his obedience he has been chosen and honoured by God.  Zerubbabel in that day never knew how God would use this moment to seal the future for all humanity.  Zerubbabel was a direct relative of King David and it was from the family of David that the people awaited their messiah and saviour.  In the family tree of David generation after generation branched out wider and wider, but in Zerubbabel they are narrowed in again.  As a result, he appears in the lineage of Joseph in the book of Matthew and he also appears in the line of Mary found in the book of Luke.

 

It is through the appearance of Zerubbabel in his earthly father’s family tree that Jesus proves his earthly heritage as a son of David.  It is through the appearance of Zerubbabel in his mother’s family tree that Jesus proves his Godly heritage as the son of David.  It was the obedience of Zerubbabel that sealed the proof.  Obedience to God changes lives not only in our own generation and time but in days to come.