“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.”
~ Haggai 2:23
Hi James and Ellen,
What are the names that your dad and ma gave you? What are the names that your friends call you? Your grandpaa’s dad and ma named your grandpaa Gareth but most guys, gals and kids call your grandpaa Gary. Your grandpaa’s bros and sis’ call your grandpaa Gar. When your grandpaa began to grow a mustache about six months after your grandmaa and grandpaa along with your dad and Aunt Lynn, arrived in Santa Cruz, Bolivia to join the South America Mission field missionary team that is in Bolivia, your grandpaa apparently began to look enough like Charles Bronson that the Bolivian guys who had gotten to know your grandpaa began to call him Charlie Bronson. Your grandpaa did not know that Charles Bronson was an actor until he was told who Charles Bronson was. Because your grandpaa liked to plan what he considered to be an ultimate adventure for each year’s summer team that went to Bolivia through South American Mission, the college age kids who were on one year’s summer team that went to Bolivia through South America Mission called your grandpaa Indiana Gary. Your grandmaa’s dad called your grandmaa Princess. When your Aunt Lynn was a little kid, your grandpaa called your Aunt Lynn Scoobie Doobie the Dog. When your Aunt Lynn decided that she no longer wanted your grandpaa to call her Scoobie Doobie the Dog, your grandpaa began calling your Aunt Lynn The Dog. When your dad was a little kid, your grandpaa called your dad The Germ. A name or nickname invariably has a story behind it. Ask your dad and/or ma why they gave you the names that they named you. Do you like the names that your dad and ma named you?
Do you know Darius Hystaspes? Darius was the common name used for a Persian king. The name Darius means he who upholds the good. Darius Hystaspes was Persia’s fourth king. Darius Hystaspes was Persia’s king for thirty-six years. Darius Hystaspes was a lenient king who helped and encouraged the Jews – who are God’s specially chosen guys and gals, to go back to the land area that God had given them to always to have to live in as their very own land if . . . do you know Haggai? The name Haggai means festal or born on the feast day. Haggai may have been born on a pilgrimage feast day. Haggai was one of God’s prophet spokesmen. Haggai was a contemporary of Zechariah. Zechariah was another one of God’s prophet spokesmen. Eighteen years before Haggai was prompted by God – as God the Spirit, to scribe a two chapter missive, another Persian king – Cyrus, had a decree scribed which permitted God’s specially chosen guys and gals who had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army to Babylonia as exiles to go back to their land area – which was the land area of Judah, and to their city – which was the city of Jerusalem. Haggai’s letter rebuked, encouraged and animated Zerubbabel and God’s specially chosen guys and gals who had returned to the city of Jerusalem to begin again the rebuilding of the temple of God that was in the city of Jerusalem. God’s especially chosen guys and gals who had gone back to the city of Jerusalem after having been exiles were back to daily worshipping God. God’s especially chosen guys who had gone back to the city of Jerusalem after having been exiles had laid the foundation for a second temple. Haggai was told by God on October 17, 520 B.C. to go to Zerubbabel – who was the Judah land area’s governor, and to Joshua – who was the temple’s high priest, and to God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the city of Jerusalem to tell them to trust in God to help them instead of bemoaning the fact that they were not very many and that they were being besieged by guys who did not want them to succeed as a country again. On December 18, 520 B.C. – which was three months and twenty-three days later, Haggai scribed in his Haggai Letter that he was able to get God’s specially chosen guys and gals back to rebuilding the temple of God that was in the city of Jerusalem. God – through Haggai, gave Zerubbabel special recognition when God – as God the Spirit, had Haggai scribe in verse 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.””
How old do you think that Haggai was when he scribed his short two chapter letter to Zerubbabel, to Joshua and to God’s specially chosen guys and gals who had returned to the city of Jerusalem to live after having been exiles? Your grandpaa thinks that Haggai had to have been in his seventies when he wrote his Haggai Letter. It may be that Haggai was a young guy – who was living in the city of Jerusalem, when the city of Jerusalem was overrun by Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army and when the temple of God that was in the city of Jerusalem was demolished by the Babylonian army. Haggai seems to communicate that he could remember what the temple of God looked like that was built by Solomon. A name can have influence. Darius’ name allowed him to advocate for God’s specially chosen guys and gals to free them from being exiles in the places where he ruled. Haggai’s name reminded God’s specially chosen guys and gals of the times when God in His way had them stop doing what they were doing and what He did to get them to refocus again on living their lives only for Him. The word signet – which God used in reference to Zerubbabel, means a pledge or guarantee. God used Zerubbabel in his role as the city of Jerusalem’s governor as a pledge or guarantee to His specially chosen guys and gals that there is a future inheritance ahead for them. God uses who He chooses in His timeframe to influence others. As your lives are influencing in one way or another the lives of guys, gals and kids, the lives of guys gals and kids will invariably be influencing your lives.
Haggai 2 (477)