DAILY TEXT, Wednesday, December 24, 2025. “Be strong, for I am with you,” declares Jehovah of armies (Haggai 2:4).

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Wednesday, December 24, 2025

“Be strong, for I am with you,” declares Jehovah of armies. (Haggai 2:4)

Do you sometimes worry about the future? Perhaps you have lost your job and wonder how you will provide for your family. Or maybe you are concerned about your family’s safety because of political instability, persecution, or opposition from the authorities to the preaching work. If you are experiencing any of these problems, you will find encouragement in seeing how Jehovah helped the Israelites when they faced similar situations.

When the Jews who left Babylon arrived in Jerusalem, they faced an unstable economic and political situation and opposition from their enemies. With so many problems, it was difficult for some to devote themselves fully to rebuilding Jehovah’s temple. Therefore, Jehovah sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to rekindle the people’s enthusiasm, and their work was successful. (Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 1:1)

However, almost 50 years later, the Jews again fell into discouragement. It was then that Ezra, a skilled scribe of the Law, returned from Babylon to Jerusalem to encourage them and help them put true worship first (Ezra 7:1, 6).

The prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah helped God’s servants of the past to continue trusting in Jehovah despite opposition, and they too can help us to continue trusting that Jehovah will help us no matter what. (Prov. 22:19) w23.11 14 pars. 2, 3

What questions will we analyze? (Proverbs 22:19).

In this article, we will examine what God told his people through Haggai and Zechariah, and we will analyze the example of Ezra. This will help us answer the following questions: How did the difficulties the Jews faced after returning to their land affect them? Why should we put God’s will first when we go through difficult times? And what will help us trust Jehovah more, no matter what happens?

What are some possible reasons why the Jews lost their enthusiasm?

When the Jews arrived in Jerusalem, they had much work to do. In a short time, they rebuilt Jehovah’s altar and laid the foundation of the temple (Ezra 3:1-3, 10). But their initial enthusiasm soon faded. What happened? Besides working on the temple projects, they had to build their own houses, cultivate the fields, and feed their families (Ezra 2:68, 70). Moreover, their enemies did not remain idle: they devised a plan to stop the temple’s reconstruction (Ezra 4:1-5).

The Jews were also affected by economic and political instability. At that time, their land was part of the Persian Empire. After King Cyrus died in 530 BCE, his successor, Cambyses, launched a military campaign to conquer Egypt. On their way there, his troops may have passed through Israel and demanded water, food, and shelter from the Jews, which surely worsened the people's situation. When the next king, Darius I, came to power, there were many rebellions and political instability in the Persian Empire. All of this caused many of the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem to wonder how they would support their families. Because of all these concerns, some felt that it was not the right time to rebuild Jehovah's temple. (Haggai 1:2)

What other difficulty did the Jews face, and what did Zechariah assure them? (Zechariah 4:6, 7).

(Read Zechariah 4:6, 7.) In addition to economic and political problems, the Jews suffered persecution. In 522 B.C.E., their enemies succeeded in having the rebuilding of Jehovah’s temple banned. But Zechariah assured the Jews that Jehovah would use his powerful spirit to remove any obstacle. In 520 B.C.E., King Darius not only lifted the ban but also gave the Jews money to continue the work and ordered the local authorities to support them. (Ezra 6:1, 6-10)

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