A Blessing with a Humbling Reminder

In this passage, the Lord gives the people a humbling reminder. He demonstrates for them their own impurity. Their problem is not primarily a Temple problem or a religious practices problem. Their problem is a sin problem. Their hearts turned from the Lord their God. As a result of that, the worship of God and the Temple grew neglected, were destroyed, and had not been rebuilt. But restoring order to the cultic religious practices of Israel wouldn't fix things. Unless the hearts of the people returned to and stayed fixed on the Lord their God, this new Temple was just as likely to get soiled as the last one! Worship being handled by impure hearts is defiled.

So the Lord reminds them of the dire straits he called them out of. He reminds them that their crops would not produce - that their land was struck by drought and disease. And that all of this was at the disciplinary hand of a good Father. Therefore, he says - "From this day on, think carefully." Tread wisely. Because the seeds and the vines and the figs and the olive trees have not yet produced! But they will. "From this day on, I will bless you," promises the Lord. So walk wisely in those blessing and don't let your heart stray. Even nations and kings will be overturned and stand no chance to circumvent the Lord's plans to bless.

We saw last week how this blessing has come true in Jesus! He is the true and better Zerubbabel and Joshua - the king and the high priest. Christ is the Lord's signet ring - the Chosen One. And under his rule, the land will produce. Under his rule, no powers or thrones or kingdoms can circumvent the blessing of God's people. So let us think carefully about our ways! Let us tread lightly and walk wisely lest our hearts also stray from the humble worship of our God! Lest we begin to believe that blessing is the fruit of our labour and the work of our hands! Rather than the gracious outpouring of a sovereign God to be humbly and gratefully received!⁠