Haggai 1:13-2:5, When Our Work for God Seems Inglorious

Are you unimpressed with the work you are doing for God? Raising babies, teaching middle schoolers, ministering to the homeless, cleaning the church building, driving disabled people to their medical appointments, etc., etc., doesn’t seem like the greater miracles Jesus said we would be doing? The remnant of the people of Israel felt the same way.

^1:13 In the second year of King Darius,^2:1 on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of Yahweh came through the prophet Haggai: ² “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, ³ ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? ⁴ But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares Yahweh. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares Yahweh Almighty. ⁵ ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’ (Haggai 1:13-2:5)

We’re told that when the people laid the foundation of this temple that there were mixed among the shouts of cheer and tumult of weeping by those who had seen the first temple, the temple of Solomon (Ezra 3:12). When they compared the glory of the first temple to this one, it was definitely inglorious. And now, as they are building on this foundation, building the temple God has commanded them to build, they are feeling like it is “nothing.” It is inglorious and so their labor for Yahweh is inglorious. Their motivation for working begins to lag.

But God tells them through Haggai that they must be strong, “be strong all you people of the land,” and work. Work at this seemingly inglorious endeavor, and here is why: because Yahweh is with you, His Spirit remains among you. Don’t be afraid that your work does not seem bejeweled with beauty and power. Don’t be afraid that your work seems pointless or nothing. Don’t compare your work to someone else’s. “I am with you,” declares God Almighty. Just as Yahweh’s Spirit traveled with the Israelites as they journeyed to the promised land, so His Spirit is journeying with you now.

He knows your work, and as inglorious as it may seem to you, it is glorious to Him.