And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.”
God had held back rain and harvest from Judah, and here He says the failure was His own doing, not bad weather. That raises two questions: why He struck their ordinary work, and what the blow says about His heart toward them.
God Called the Drought
The kingdom was gone. No throne of God stood in Jerusalem. Yet the harvests still answered to Him, and one commentator explains why.
William KellyWhat made this all the more striking is that God was no longer maintaining His throne in Israel. Even so, He did not relax His moral government... It was Jehovah who blighted their selfish efforts. He was dealing with the unbelief of the returned remnant, and with the neglect that came from it. It was not because He did not love them, but because He did. "For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives."
Everything They Touched
The blow ran from the hills down to the cattle and then to human work. One commentator gathers the whole sweep of it, and names the reason God gave.
Edward DennettGod was drying up the source of every earthly blessing. He "blew" on their crops and held back the dew. He called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain, on everything the earth brought forth, on men, on cattle, and on all the work of their hands. And why did He send this blight over all their work and all their expectations? Write this answer permanently on our hearts: "Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house."
New Wine and Oil
The verse names the new wine among the things struck. That has raised a question about the Hebrew word behind it.
William KellySome point to Haggai 1:11 as a stronger objection. They argue that a drought could only affect growing fruit, and so that tirosh must mean grapes, not wine. But the rest of the verse refutes this wooden literalism. If the drought could affect men, cattle and the work of their hands, why not wine and oil?
Why the Labour Came to Nothing
They worked hard, but they worked for themselves.
Edward DennettAs our Lord taught, "whoever would save his life will lose it," so it was with the remnant. 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.
Another writer traces the same failure back to its root in the heart rather than to the circumstances.
Hamilton SmithThe low spiritual state we so often have to mourn comes from doing our own pleasure and seeking our own glory. Self-will and self-importance lie at the root of our failure. And yet, is it not the deepest joy and encouragement to know this? In a day of weakness, and in spite of all our failure, we can still judge our ways. We can still do what God can take pleasure in, and through which He can be glorified.
Mercy Inside the Judgment
The drought was severe, but it was not the end of them. It produced the fear of God, and God answered with a promise.
J Wilson SmithGod called for a drought on the land, and on all the labour of their hands. Then "the people feared the Lord" — note those words, "feared 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 not destruction. God had regard to His gifts and calling. In wrath He remembered mercy.
The Same Voice Now
One writer turns the same question on readers today.
The Christian's FriendIf His objects are not ours, is it any wonder that we are suffering 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 have not enough? that we are neither "warm" nor satisfied, and that a drought seems to lie over the whole assembly of His saints?
Summary
- Cause. God Himself called the drought. His moral government still worked, even after His throne in Israel had fallen.
- Reach. It touched hills, grain, wine, oil, men, cattle and all their work. God dried up the source of every blessing they lived on.
- Reason. One sentence explains it all: His house lay waste while each man ran to his own.
- Cost. They put their own things first and lost the very blessings they worked for. Self-will is the root.
- Mercy. There was drought, but not destruction. The people feared the Lord, and He answered, "I am with you."