Haggai 1:12
Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.
Zerubbabel, Joshua the high priest, and all the remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord and the words of Haggai as the one the Lord had sent, and feared before the Lord. They had put their own houses and interests first while leaving His house in ruins, dishonoring Him and bringing drought and want upon themselves. They had been repeatedly taught that their temporal and spiritual prosperity depended on faithful obedience to His commands. Their decision to obey turned reproof into encouragement with assurance of His presence, placing them where He could bless them and be with them. So the verse calls God's people to heed the prophetic word and act without delay to make His house the first consideration rather than the last.
Heeding the Reproof
Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet as the one whom the Lord their God had sent, and the people did fear before the Lord. They took the Lord's reproof and counsel seriously, obeying both God's voice and the message He sent through Haggai, and standing in reverence before God. Their obedience followed rebuke for neglecting the ruined temple while putting their own houses and interests first. That neglect of the Lord's house while attending to their own interests dishonored God, and their pursuit of their own homes had brought drought and want upon them. The warning roused them to resume building God's house.
They had been repeatedly taught that their temporal and spiritual prosperity depended on faithful obedience to God's commands. Their decision to obey marked a change where the Lord's words of reproof became words of encouragement, with assurance of His presence. By obeying they placed themselves where God could bless them and be with them.
Call to Build Today
Haggai 1:12 calls God's people to heed the prophetic word and act without delay, making His house the first consideration rather than the last. Neglecting the Lord's house while attending to one's own interests dishonors God, and it is not His will for His people to remain without a secure place of worship or to keep assembling in a place grown too small. Applied to building a meeting house, obeying the voice of the Lord and fearing before Him means agreeing to begin the work after receiving instruction and acting in faith rather than hesitating.
The chapter teaches that shortage of resources can result from work God does not approve, including selfishly taking what belongs to others and acting contrary to God's Word. Its rebuke applies to churches that fail to build or maintain their buildings, or leave them burdened with debt instead of sacrificing and donating to free them from it.
The verse calls God's stewards, as those who realize the nearness of the Lord's coming, to unite in using the Lord's own substance to lift the burdens resting on His institutions, trusting that the Lord will cooperate with them. Obeying and fearing God here means being one in mind and heart with the heavenly intelligences so as to be worked by them. That oneness is manifested in heart-and-soul interest when one of God's instrumentalities is languishing or in peril.