This month continues with the Minor Prophets as I get closer
to the end of the Old Testament. Habakkuk was a prophet during the reign of
King Jehoiakim between 612 and 588 BCE. He was prophesying during the time
leading to the exile. He was troubled by what he saw and began to have doubts. Zephaniah
was a prophet during the reign of King Josiah and written before the king’s
religious reformation between 640 to 622 BCE. His message was filled with the
Day of Judgment for those who would not repent. Haggai, a prophet, wrote his
prophecies in 520 BCE when the Israelites return to their land after exile and
began to rebuild their lives. He reminds the people of the importance to keep
God first. Where is God when we see injustice? Is there is hope during times of
wrath? Where is God placed in the priorities of our lives?
Habakkuk was a man who sought answers and he set his
questions to God. Like a child with deep questions, he came to God without
fear. He came to God with heartfelt questions. Habakkuk 2:2-3 lists his
questions: “How long, O Lord, must I call for help and you do not listen? Or
cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not listen. Why do you make me look at
injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?” Ouch! The Lord’s answers were not with
anger but with love. Habakkuk 2:5 records his answers that he will do amazing
acts, a series of unbelievable events were coming. First, their independent and
prosperous kingdom, Judah, would become a vassal nation. Second, Egypt, a world
power for centuries, would be crushed overnight. Third, Nineveh, the capital of
the Assyrian empire, would be so completely ransacked that people would forget
when it had be. These events would happen at the hands of the Babylonians
(verses 6-11). Even with these answers, Habakkuk had more complaints, more
questions. He was concerned and horrified that Babylon, a nation more wicked
than Judah would be an instrument for their punishment. But the Babylonians
weren’t aware that they were being used by God and their pride in their
victories would lead to their eventual downfall. After all his questions, God
asks Habakkuk (and us) to be patient. Habakkuk 2:3, he says “wait for it, it
will certainly come.” The lesson in Habakkuk is we should not be afraid to come
to God with our questions and concerns. God will not punish us for questioning
him. It is our limited understanding of his ways that causes our questions and
doubts. God knows this and he will answer.
Zephaniah was a prophet who wrote about the Day of Judgment
for those who turned from God. A warning
to those who did evil in his eyes. Zephaniah 1:2 says that the Lord will “sweep
everything from the face of the earth.” Punishment against Judah for their idolatry
worship and refusal to repent and return to God. Zephaniah also talks about the
Great Day of the Lord. Zephaniah 1:14-18 describe a day of bitterness, a
warrior’s shout, a day of distress, wrath, anguish and gloom. But the Day of
Judgment is a day of cheer for those who were mistreated. These individuals
will be purified and restored. Zephaniah 3:8-20 describes the day of hope.
After the Lord’s wrath has been poured out and the evildoers are punished, he
will purify the people and restore those who were faithful to him. One of my
favorite verses in this book is verse 17 “The Lord your God is with you, he is
mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his
love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Imagine God as a parent, a parent
whose child has returned home. A parent who rejoices that his child is back
safely, a child he will hold and comfort. “Quiet you with his love” is a
powerful image that I see as a parent. While a child falls and gets hurt, what
is a parent’s first instinct? To pull that child into his or her arms with
comfort and love. I image God enfolding each of us like a parent would a child,
when we return to him. He holds us and tells us everything will be alright.
Haggai is the first post-exile prophets. His purpose was a
call to the people to reevaluate their priorities and help motivate them to
rebuild the temple. When the Israelites returned to their land, they focused on
getting their homes in order and forgot the temple. Haggai reminded them that
when God isn’t a priority, labors are fruitless. We often place a higher
priority on personal comfort than on God’s work and true worship. But God is
pleased and promises strength and guidance when we give him first place in our
lives. I know this is easier said than done and it takes great effort. I often
forget to stop and pray or to open God’s word in the hustle of life. However,
when I do stop and take a moment in God’s word, even a simple passage in my
devotional amazing things can happen. It is hard work to keep my eyes on God
but when I do, I can truly see remarkable things happen. God also tells us in
Haggai 2:10-19 that holiness doesn’t rub off onto to others but contamination
can. Therefore we must careful the foundation in which we lay down. We need to
repent and obey every day of our lives not just religious activities like
church. We need to be careful in our daily relationships as well. This lesson
is repeated in 1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good
character.” It is easier to pull someone down than to pull someone up. So we
must careful who we allow to influence our lives. Look to God first and
foremost and he will guide us in all other aspects.
In conclusion, these three prophets give us important
lessons. In Habakkuk, we learn that though we cannot see all that God is doing,
and we cannot see all that God will do, we can be assured that God is in
control. He will punish the evil and right the wrongs. Keeping this in mind can
give us a comfort and hope in an evil world. In Zephaniah, we learn that in the
Day of Judgment those who did evil will be punished and those who remained
faithful will be purified and restored. It is a day we will all face, when we
stand before God, we will be held accountable for what we have done with our lives.
In Haggai, we learn that when we place God first among our priorities, he will
do amazing work in our lives. When we do God’s work in our lives, we honor and
worship him.
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