The Book of HAGGAI - Chapter Two

1 on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord 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 the Lord. “Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,” declares the Lord, “and work. For I am with you,” declares the Lord Almighty. 5 “This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.”

6 ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord Almighty. 8 “The silver is mine and the gold is mine,” declares the Lord Almighty. 9 “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,” says the Lord Almighty. “And in this place I will grant peace,” declares the Lord Almighty.’

Blessings for a defiled people

10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: 11 ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Ask the priests what the law says: 12 if someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?”’

The priests answered, ‘No.’

13 Then Haggai said, ‘If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?’

‘Yes,’ the priests replied, ‘it becomes defiled.’

14 Then Haggai said, ‘“So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,” declares the Lord. “Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.

15 ‘“Now give careful thought to this from this day on – consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple. 16 When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. 17 I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord. 18 “From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: 19 is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig-tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.

‘“From this day on I will bless you.”’

Zerubbabel the Lord’s signet ring

20 The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 ‘Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.

23 ‘“On that day,” declares the Lord Almighty, “I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,” declares the Lord, “and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,” declares the Lord Almighty.’

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Word by Word Meditations 

by Fred Ursell

Haggai 2: “ninth” (v.10)

Haggai’s prophetic book is very precise about timings. The very first “word of the LORD” that came “through” [N.B. not ‘from’] him was “in the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month” (1 v.1). Even though general apathy had reigned previously, they got cracking with the work on God’s house just 23 days later (1 vv.14-15).

Two further messages came “on the 24^th day of the ninth month” (vv.10 & 20). From start to finish, under 4 months. Despite criticism he now promised “from this day … I will bless you” (v.19). 

Do you ‘jump to it’ when God speaks?  Then good for you!

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The Book of HAGGAI

Read by David Suchet 

HAGGAI - Overview 

(The Bible Project)

- The Book of HAGGAI - 

(David Pawson) 

Haggai Chapter 2

Dr Baruch Korman

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The Book of HAGGAI - Chapter One

HAGGAI - Overview  

(The Bible Project)

 

 A call to build the house of the Lord

1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest:

2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘These people say, “The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.”’

3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 ‘Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your panelled houses, while this house remains a ruin?’

5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.’

7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honoured,’ says the Lord. 9 ‘You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labour of your hands.’

12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.

13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: ‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord. 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.

The promised glory of the new house

In the second year of King Darius …

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Word by Word Meditations 

by Fred Ursell

Haggai 1: “holes” (v.6)

Strange thing happens when the Lord’s people act as if they were independent and unaccountable. “You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it” (v.6). Just rotten luck?  Or poor money management?  Or wrong priorities – seeking your own interests, rather than God’s (v.4)?  

When we know we owe it to him to be holy (head, heart and hand), we will have fewer “holes” in our purse, pocket, wallet or bank account. Count on it!   

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The Book of HAGGAI

Read by David Suchet  

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STUDY - LINKS

- The Book of HAGGAI - 

(David Pawson) 

Haggai Chapter 1

Dr Baruch Korman

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The Second Book of SAMUEL - Chapter Twenty Four

 

David enrols the fighting men 

1 Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, ‘Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.’

2 So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, ‘Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enrol the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.’

3 But Joab replied to the king, ‘May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?’

4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enrol the fighting men of Israel.

5 After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer. 6 They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around towards Sidon. 7 Then they went towards the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah.

8 After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

9 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.

10 David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.’

11 Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: 12 ‘Go and tell David, “This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.”’

13 So Gad went to David and said to him, ‘Shall there come on you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.’

14 David said to Gad, ‘I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.’

15 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. 16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, ‘Enough! Withdraw your hand.’ The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

17 When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, ‘I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.’

David builds an altar

18 On that day Gad went to David and said to him, ‘Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.’ 19 So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad. 20 When Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming towards him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.

21 Araunah said, ‘Why has my lord the king come to his servant?’

‘To buy your threshing-floor,’ David answered, ‘so that I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.’

22 Araunah said to David, ‘Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing-sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23 Your Majesty, Araunah gives all this to the king.’ Araunah also said to him, ‘May the Lord your God accept you.’

24 But the king replied to Araunah, ‘No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.’

So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. 25 David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer on behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

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Word by Word Meditations 

by Fred Ursell

2^nd Samuel 24: “overruled” (v.4)

Principles and practice don’t always coincide!  Having stated the ‘theory’ David decides to have a census “so that I may know how many [fighting men] there are” (v.2). Joab sees the flaw, and so objects, but is “overruled ” (v.4). 

Nearly 10 months later the figures are in (vv.8-9), but David is now “conscience-stricken” (v.10), realising he has “sinned greatly” and “done a very foolish thing” (v.10).  

If we have wise guidance “overruled ”, go on ego-trips, quash or ignore dissent, it will result in “deep distress” (v.14) and “calamity” (v.16). 

So sad!  Beware deafness to objections and disagreement!

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READINGS

2 Samuel Chapter 24

Read by David Suchet

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OVERVIEWS 

2 Samuel - Overview -

The Bible Project  

2 Samuel 

Tim Mackie (The Bible Project)

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STUDY - LINKS

SAMUEL

(David Pawson)

1 & 2 Samuel - part 1

https://youtu.be/V-gozmcy3PM 

1 & 2 Samuel - part 2

https://youtu.be/ULLioZwvdEU 

- 2 Samuel Read by David Suchet -

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The Second Book of SAMUEL - Chapter Twenty Three

David’s last words 

1 These are the last words of David:

‘The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse,

    the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High,

the man anointed by the God of Jacob,

    the hero of Israel’s songs:

2 

‘The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me;

    his word was on my tongue.

3 

The God of Israel spoke,

    the Rock of Israel said to me:

“When one rules over people in righteousness,

    when he rules in the fear of God,

4 

he is like the light of morning at sunrise

    on a cloudless morning,

like the brightness after rain

    that brings grass from the earth.”

5 

‘If my house were not right with God,

    surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant,

    arranged and secured in every part;

surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation

    and grant me my every desire.

6 

But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns,

    which are not gathered with the hand.

7 

Whoever touches thorns

    uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear;

    they are burned up where they lie.’

David’s mighty warriors

8 These are the names of David’s mighty warriors:

Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.

9 Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the Israelites retreated, 10 but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.

11 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. 12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

13 During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 15 David longed for water and said, ‘Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!’ 16 So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the Lord. 17 ‘Far be it from me, Lord, to do this!’ he said. ‘Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?’ And David would not drink it.

Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.

18 Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. 19 Was he not held in greater honour than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them.

20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 21 And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. 23 He was held in greater honour than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

24 Among the Thirty were:

Asahel the brother of Joab,

Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,

25 Shammah the Harodite,

Elika the Harodite,

26 Helez the Paltite,

Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa,

27 Abiezer from Anathoth,

Sibbekai the Hushathite,

28 Zalmon the Ahohite,

Maharai the Netophathite,

29 Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,

Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin,

30 Benaiah the Pirathonite,

Hiddai from the ravines of Gaash,

31 Abi-Albon the Arbathite,

Azmaveth the Barhumite,

32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

the sons of Jashen,

Jonathan 

33 son of Shammah the Hararite,

Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,

34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maakathite,

Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

35 Hezro the Carmelite,

Paarai the Arbite,

36 Igal son of Nathan from Zobah,

the son of Hagri,

37 Zelek the Ammonite,

Naharai the Beerothite, the armour-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

38 Ira the Ithrite,

Gareb the Ithrite

39 and Uriah the Hittite.

There were thirty-seven in all.

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Word by Word Meditations 

by Fred Ursell

2^nd Samuel 23: “rules” (v.3)

David’s “last words” (v.1) cover his God-given concept of leadership. “The God of Israel spoke … to me: ‘when one rules over men in righteousness … in the fear of God, he is like the light … at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth’” (vv.3-4). 

The guiding principles of godly authority are 

[A] awareness of one’s accountability to God who sees and judges every leader’s actions; and therefore the over-arching aim is 

[B] to lead his people with selfless honesty. Has God got “a man [or woman] after his own heart” (1 Samuel 13 v.14) in you?

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READINGS

2 Samuel Chapter 23

Read by David Suchet

=-=-=-=-=-=-=

OVERVIEWS 

2 Samuel - Overview -

The Bible Project  

2 Samuel 

Tim Mackie (The Bible Project)

-=-=-=-=-=-=- 

STUDY - LINKS

SAMUEL

(David Pawson)

1 & 2 Samuel - part 1

https://youtu.be/V-gozmcy3PM 

1 & 2 Samuel - part 2

https://youtu.be/ULLioZwvdEU 

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The Second Book of SAMUEL - 

Read by David Suchet