Haggai 1:10

A royal throne in His name as a witness to the nations was no longer the question. It was thrown down. For the time being, the throne of Jehovah was not in Zion, nor anywhere else on earth. Of course His purpose is not given up. But He still governed morally, and that is the thing now made plain... It was Jehovah who blighted their selfish efforts. He was dealing with the unbelief, and the neglect that followed it, in the remnant who had returned.

Dew was the familiar sign of God's favor. It was largely what made the land fertile; without it the land would be parched and barren. Isaac uses this picture when he blesses Jacob (Gen. 27:28). Moses repeats it in his closing blessing on the tribes (Deut. 33:28). Elijah shows God's judgment on the land by declaring that no dew would fall (1 Kings 17:1).

God was drying up the source of every earthly blessing. He "blew" on their crops and withheld the dew. He called for a drought on the land and on the mountains, on the grain, on everything the earth brought forth, on men, on cattle, and on all the labour of the hands. And why did He send this blight on all their work and all their hopes? Let us write the answer permanently on our hearts: "Because of My house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house."

Because of their neglect — neglect of Himself and the honor of His Name, centered in the house — He could not give the blessing He is so willing to give His people.

They set their hearts on rest, ease, and prosperity in this world. They wanted to find their "life" in their comforts, and so they lost it, because they had left God out of the account. They made themselves, and not God, their object. They put their own things first and grew indifferent to His honour, His claims, and His interests. So they forfeited the very blessings they worked for.

The Lord deals with His people on a principle of justice that repays like for like, as these words convey: "Whatever one sows, that will he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). This way of dealing does not touch, in the least, the believer's perfect acceptance through grace, or his standing in grace. These, thank God, are settled points, and nothing can unsettle them.

"Then the people did fear before the Lord" — note the words, "fear before the Lord." And as a gracious result the Lord said, "I am with you," and again, "My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not." He produced a better condition. True, there was drought, but they were not destroyed. God had regard to His gifts and calling. In wrath He remembered mercy.

God is still God, and He has His objects now as He had then. If then His objects are not ours, is it any wonder that we suffer from spiritual famine and barrenness? that when we have sown much, in preaching the Word, we bring in little? that we feed constantly on what teachers give us, and still do not have enough? that we are neither "warm" nor satisfied, and that a drought seems to run right through the assembly of His saints?