Haggai 2:17 I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you turned not to me, said the LORD. There are no dispensations prosperous or adverse, with which we are favoured or chastised, but in the Word of God everything may be found that is necessary to assist our exercise and regulate our behaviour under them. When people refuse to hear, they are sometimes smitten on a tender part, and constrained to feel. 1. Deal with material evil: such as blasting, mildew, and hail. 2. Deal with moral evil. This must be sin. Such as — (1) Love to the world. (2) Neglect of temple-building. (3) A notion that material powers act of themselves, independent of God. This is a branch of atheism, and a virtual denial of the Divine overruling providence. 3. Show the efficiency of God in scourging with the one for the other. (1) The Lord hath determined to smite and afflict with these evils. (2) The Lord createth this evil, and giveth its corn. mission. Till He have occasion for its service, it doth not exist. (3) The Lord hath appointed and always observeth the seasons of smiting. The scourge is neither taken up nor laid down at random. (4) Places where the evil is collected and inflicted are marked out by the justice of God. (5) A portion of evil is measured out and allotted for each body of the executioners.Consider — 1. Moral evils among us have a striking resemblance to those which prevailed among the Israelites in the days of Haggai. 2. The Lord would be just were He to smite us, as He smote them. We have given Him provocation. Our light is clearer, our privileges are richer, and our iniquities exceed theirs in number and aggravation. Material evil is still at the Lord's call, and ready to fulfil His Word. (A. Shanks.) Parallel Verses KJV: I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD. |
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