G. C. Willis
“Consider your ways." All of us need that word in this day of softness. The Apostle could write, "Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." It is a day when we are tempted not to endure hardness. It is a day when we make everything as easy as we can, and I think it is time for all of us to consider our ways.
About the temple that was built in the days of Ezra, and its lack of silver and gold, Haggai could say it was nothing compared to the old temple. Whose fault was it? Turn to the 6th chapter of Ezra and we will see whose fault it was. There was a document giving authority for this house, but they did not know where the document was, and they did not know what was written in that document. We read in the 17th verse of the 5th chapter of Ezra:
Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
Next, in chapter 6:1-5 of Ezra it says:
Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written: In the first year of Cyrus the king, the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; with three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house: and also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.
That was the document, but we have to look back a little bit to get the setting. You remember that King Cyrus and what he was about to do were foretold in the prophet Isaiah. Daniel was the prime minister at this time and he would probably tell Cyrus that his name was foretold. The dimensions given here seem to be greater than those of Solomon's temple. King Cyrus had conquered Babylon and he had conquered the Cretans. There was a saying, "as rich as the Cretans," and this untold wealth had fallen into the hands of Cyrus. He gives orders for the building of the temple, "and let the expenses be given out of the king's house.”
The enemy hindered them all the days of Cyrus; they did not have the faith to draw on that bank, the richest on earth. The days passed and their golden opportunity was gone. The house was built, but it was nothing in comparison to that of Solomon.
The Lord Is There
I think of a meeting where there are three: a dear old lady who has to be carried into the meeting, a dear old man whose voice has failed and he cannot even read a verse anymore. The last time I was there I wondered if it was right for this little meeting to be like that? Then there came to my mind the last four words of Ezekiel, "The Lord is there." May those words be a comfort and strength to every one of us. There is another place where there is only one brother and his sight is so far gone that he cannot see to read anymore. But these things are answered by those four words: "The Lord is there." In the margin you will see that is one of His names: Jehovah-Shammah—the Lord is there.
We want to get our eyes on the Person who is there. What does it matter if we cannot read a verse, or if an old sister has to be carried to the meeting if the Lord is there? What we need, all of us, is to get our eyes turned away from one another and to see the One who is there.
There is another little meeting; about five are there. We might think if that is the right place there would be more than five; sometimes at prayer meeting they do not get two or three, but again "Jehovah-shammah" answers the question. That meeting of five has had a lot of reproach, but the Lord gives encouragement in Rom. 11 about the little remnant. Elijah thought he was the only one left; he did not know about the seven thousand away in the hills and valleys of Israel. The Lord had counted them even as He does the hairs of our heads. Seven thousand were not many out of all the millions of Israel, but that was the remnant.
I remember an old brother telling me that all giving up was of the devil. I have never forgotten it. Another remark a dear old man in China made: he was sick and his son came in and said that he was so discouraged, he was just going to give it all up. The father turned to him and used almost the same words. All giving up and discouragement is of the devil. God is the God of all encouragement.
Haggai and Philippians
In connection with this little book of Haggai, I was thinking of the 2nd of Philippians. The Apostle could write the Philippians about Timothy, "All seek their own, and not the things which are Jesus Christ's." Also verses 19 and 20: "But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.”
This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me.... The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: but, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.
I believe it does not matter how few there are; the twos and threes are not to be despised, are not to be ashamed of, no more than Onesiphorus was ashamed of the Apostle's chain. If the Lord is there, I want to be there too.
Suppose you knew that in this city, on Lord's Day at 11 o'clock, the Lord was going to be visibly present in a certain place. What would you do? I would let everything else on earth go, and be there at any cost. Surely any true-hearted Christian would answer the same thing. The Lord is there, only we do not look at Him with these eyes; we see Him with the eye of faith. May we have the eye turned more than ever on that blessed Jehovahshammah—the Lord is there.
In Gen. 22 the Lord makes Himself known to Abraham as Jehovah-jireh—the Lord will provide; in Ex. 15:2626And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee. (Exodus 15:26), we find the Lord the Healer, and in Psa. 23, the Restorer of our souls. In the battle with Amalek we have him in Ex. 17 as Jehovah-nissi—the Lord my banner, and His banner over us is love. May we inscribe on that banner in golden letters, "God is love." Many times we have come off the worse in the fight, but may we remember Jehovah-nissi is there.
A mere boy used the name of Jehovah-sabbaoth—the Lord of hosts. David said to Goliath, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts"-Jehovah-sabbaoth. The expression "Lord of hosts" is found some 80 tithes in Jeremiah. Everything is gone and he clings to Jehovah-sabbaoth. Haggai uses it 14 times; Zechariah, 50 times; Malachi, 25 times, and the Psalms, 80 times. The prophets at the end turned not to things around; all was gone, but they turned to Jehovah-sabbaoth—the Lord of hosts.
The Savior Jesus
Then we come to the name more dear than all other names, Jehovah, the Savior Jesus. God has given us a series of pictures to show us Jesus. We all shall be satisfied when we awake in His likeness, but we shall be truly satisfied here on earth if we are occupied with Him. If we get our eyes away from those around and look off unto Jesus, we shall be satisfied.
How we look forward to the meeting in the air! How we love to meditate on that day when we are going to see His face for the first time, when we are going to gaze on those wounded hands. The Apostle writes in 2 Thess. 2:11Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (2 Thessalonians 2:1), "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him." Of course, it is unto Him up there. Every blood-bought soul is going to be caught up in a moment and gathered together unto what? A doctrine? Unto Him!
That word signifying gathering is used again in Hebrews and is only used twice in that way. We are gathered together unto Him in the air, and gathered unto Him when we remember Him. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together." Heb. 10:2525Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25). It is the very same word, linking together the meeting in the air soon to come to pass, and the meeting on Lord's Day when we come to remember the Lord in His death. To me the Lord is just as truly there on Lord's Day as when we are going to meet Him in the air when we shall see Him with our own eyes. It is the same Lord and He is there in both places; that is why you and I should be there also.