To Zerubbabel, Joshua, and all the people of the land, the Lord says, Be strong.
It’s a command that echoes throughout the Old Testament. To Joshua, Moses said, Be strong,
before handing over the leadership of God’s people to him (Deuteronomy 31:6). To the people, Joshua said, Be strong,
before they entered the Promised Land (Joshua 23:6). To Solomon, David said, Be strong,
when the temple was being built (1 Kings 2:2). And now, on the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles, God commands his people, Be strong. Work.
The Lord calls his people to strength, and to faithfulness, in the face of obstacles. The Lord gives no space for excuses of despair or inactivity. He calls them to obedience in the task he gave them. That is the call for still today. Transformation, change, whether personally or in the church, is not a matter of sitting back and waiting for God. J.I. Packer once wrote, The Christian’s motto should not be 'Let go and let God' but 'Trust God and get going.'
4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts,