I have regarded this second, and indeed first chapter of Haggai, as deeply instructive, mainly as showing God's blessing and power towards a remnant. The work of building the house of the Lord was now begun. The word of the Lord had come to them before, reproving them, that though they could find time to dwell in their veiled houses (verse 4), and did not suffer any trifle or difficulty to interfere in the way of erecting them, yet if they met with any difficulty in endeavoring to raise the Lord's house, they immediately gave that up,-" The time was not come that the Lord's house should be built." Happily this reproof of the prophet had stirred up the minds of the people, they did begin to build; and immediately the word of the Lord came to them to encourage them:-" I am with you, saith the Lord." The building proceeds; and now, in this second chapter, the word of the Lord comes to speak with them concerning this building. It tells them the LORD had not despised "the day of small things." Man might, but God did not. " Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison as nothing?" But what then? " Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord.... And be strong, all ye people of the Lord, and work; for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts." For he adds, "According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my Spirit remaineth among you; fear ye not." And if the Spirit remained among them, was not that all they needed? Is He not the Author of all power, of all wisdom, of all grace? Moving on the face of the waters at the beginning for creation; the Author of all power in judges or in prophets. And if that was true in its sense (for the Spirit indwelling was not yet given, John 7:3939(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:39)) to the remnant in an earthly dispensation at its close, shall it be less true in a heavenly spiritual one, when " the Spirit abiding" (John 14:1616And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (John 14:16)) is one of the great glories of the dispensation? Shall God be more faithful to the covenant of Moses than of Christ? respect more the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and. Jacob than those " Yea and Amen " in Him? The Spirit, therefore, remaineth with the faithful remnant of God's people, to guide them, to lead on, to give them wisdom and strength amidst difficulties and enemies. "Yea," says the Lord, " I will shake great kingdoms for your sake." For when the Lord takes up the cause of His people; He lets nothing stand in the way. "Since thou wast precious in my sight thou wast honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life" (Isa. 43:44Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. (Isaiah 43:4)).
"When He His people's cause defends,
Who then can do them harm?"
" And the desire of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with my glory."
Remark, how beautiful the hope of God's people in apostasy, and the close of their dispensation is, not in their temple becoming equal to the former temple (though seeking themselves to stand in all God's will), but in the blessed better hope of the coming of Him, who is Himself the temple and glory. Then shall all be put straight.
" The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former." If inclined to murmur now about small things, I would say it shows we are out of communion with the Lord's mind. It is out of the small things that He brings His greater glory. Is not this the principle enunciated by Christ in 2 Cor. 12:99And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9).-" My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness;" and so blessedly accepted by Paul in the same verse. "Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory," etc. If, therefore, we despise small things, we are judging after the flesh, the outward appearance, not in communion with the Lord's mind about it.
The word of the Lord comes further upon the matter in ver. 10. It seems to speak of man's inability by himself to good, and of his ability only to evil; they could not sanctify anything indifferent in itself by their touch according to the law, but could only defile it; showing that man defileth, by his own corruption, even the work of the Lord that is in his hands:-" So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so is every work of their hands: And that which they offer there is unclean." But why is this said? Is it to degrade? Oh no, it is only to humble; it is only that in the deep consciousness of our own insufficiency, of our own defilement of such holy work, we may carry on the Lord's service. Yet, thus carried on, God can and will accept it. It is that, like Paul, we may serve the Lord in all humility of mind, with many tears, etc. (Acts 20:1212And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. (Acts 20:12)). And this, I fear, we much fail in. Yet, as was said, grace can accept the sincere, though feeble desire of obedience. There had been nothing but leanness before-leanness, because they had departed from the living God, with whom alone is the riches and fatness of the olive-tree;-and the harvest was not yet brought into the barn: the vine, the fig-tree, and the pomegranate had not yet brought forth their fruit: Yet, from this day will I bless you, saith the Lord. Peace and blessing are both here recorded for them (verses 9 to 19).
Yet again the Lord has another word for them; for as I said-and the great point that I think is brought out in this prophet is that-God's almighty strength is connected even with the weakness of His people: "Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying," etc. The Lord said He would overthrow even " the throne of kingdoms " for their sake, to deliver them: He would "destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations:" He would "overthrow the chariots, and those that rode in them; and the horses and riders should come down, every one by the side of his brother" (see what was noticed on verse 6).
Let this thought therefore dwell on our hearts, dear brethren, that the least remnant of God's people, as more especially standing in the communion of His mind, is connected with all His power; in the day of their greatest weakness they stand as a connecting link with all His mighty purposes, which are soon to be manifested: God could not, so to speak, do without that link: He could not in His grace do without a remnant according to the election of grace. And they have only to know His mind in faithfulness, in order to stand connected with that power soon to be revealed. It may be said, perhaps, that all this dispensation has been a connecting link, a final dispensation as to the consummation of all things- " Upon us the ends of the ages have come" (τὰ τέλη τῶν αἰώνων, 1 Cor. 10:1111Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (1 Corinthians 10:11)). How much more upon us who stand even in the end of such an age; upon us, to whom more especially the cry has gone forth, "Behold the Bridegroom cometh; go ye forth to meet him."
May we indeed, dear brethren, stand "having our loins girded about, and our lamps burning." The much entering into that truth, will indeed, under the Lord's blessing, give power to our souls: it will connect us with all the power and blessing of that day (Mal. 3:10,10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:10) etc.), will tell us, whether the Lord, even in the last closing days of a dispensation, when failure, and nothing but failure, has been proved to the uttermost, will be deficient, or less than ever He was (compare verse 6) in real blessing to His people: "I will give you a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." The next verse (23) of this chapter of Haggai; tells us, I think, of blessed nearness to the faithful-nearness in that day. " I will make thee as a signet" (Sol. 8:66Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. (Song of Solomon 8:6)); even as Rev. 3:20,20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20) tells us of the same even in Laodicea.
Can apostasy, then, rob us of nearness to Christ, that chiefest of all things? Oh no; it should only drive us nearer. The Lord give us hearts to value such blessings: grace, and faithfulness to seek them in His appointed way (Mal. 3:77Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? (Malachi 3:7)).
G.