What assurance does the Lord give?

The call to work hard is not enough. Any one of us, faced with a mound of rubble, will be tempted to despair. Clearing the rubble cannot be done through effort alone. God’s not giving the worldly advice, Be strong; you’ve got this. He knows we do not got this. That’s why he gives not only a command but also an assurance: For I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts. God’s presence makes all the difference.¹ And so, yes, our motto is, Trust God…and get going.

Israel had taken their eyes off God, and so they stumbled. God says, Be strong. Work. For I have committed to be with you, and I am the Lord of Hosts. The Lord of the heavenly armies. The Lord Almighty. Your strength is from me. Trust me, and get going.

Of course, the Lord’s promise, I am with you, was already given to the remnant in Haggai 1:13. But even there, it was not new. This promise is the very bedrock of Israelite history. I am with you is the heartbeat of God’s covenant relationship he established with Israel in the exodus. That is what he says here: I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. Remember, this is the Feast of Booths. The exodus is very much on the people’s minds. In the wilderness, at Sinai, the Lord covenanted with his people; he claimed Israel as his treasured possession. You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6). And he sealed that relationship with the symbol of the tabernacle, later the temple—the visible presence of the glory of God among his people.² This God reassures his people in Haggai’s day that he has not changed. Centuries had passed since that covenant was established, and in that time Israel had committed every known sin, unfaithfulness, and betrayal of their God. But not even that lengthy history of sin and moral failure can overthrow God’s grace, God’s faithfulness, God’s covenant commitment to his people.³ His promises are lasting.

.