Di Signet Ring

Dem pull one ring comot from finger and throw am away. Years pass. Then, one cold day, God pick am up again, and put am back for im hand.

Na di twenty-fourth day of di ninth month, for di second year of King Darius of Persia, about five hundred and twenty years before Christ. Cold season don start for Jerusalem. Three months before, di people start to build di temple again, as di prophet Haggai dey push dem. Today, Haggai don already give one message, one promise say from dis day go, God go bless dem. Now, second message come for di same day, and dis one na for only one man: Zerubbabel, di governor of Judah. Zerubbabel na grandchild of Jehoiachin, di king from David line wey dem carry go Babylon. E be royal prince wey no get crown, wey dey govern one small province for di Persian emperor.

To understand dis message, you need remember wetin di prophet Jeremiah talk many years before, about Zerubbabel grandpapa. God talk say: even if Jehoiachin, king of Judah, be di signet ring for my right hand, I go still pull you comot. Signet ring na di king own personal seal, im signature, im authority. To be pulled comot from God hand mean say God reject you. Dem carry Jehoiachin go Babylon, and Jeremiah talk say none of im children-children go prosper for David throne. For many many years, dat judgment dey hang for top di royal family. Zerubbabel grow up under am.

Now God talk to Zerubbabel through Haggai. I go shake heaven and earth. I go overturn di thrones of kingdoms, and I go scatter di power of di nations. I go turn di chariots and di people wey dey ride dem upside down; horses and dia riders go fall, each one by di sword of im brother. Dis na heavy words. For one small province inside big empire, di meaning be say: di big powers of dis world no be dem dey control. Na God dey control. Empires wey be like say nobody fit shake dem, God fit shake dem for one moment.

And then, different from all dat shaking, one gentle promise, wey be for Zerubbabel alone. For dat day, na so di Lord of hosts talk, I go take you, Zerubbabel my servant, di son of Shealtiel, and I go make you like signet ring, because I don choose you. Na so di Lord of hosts talk. Di ring wey dem pull comot, dem dey put am back. Di family wey be like say God don reject, God choose dem again. God call Zerubbabel my servant, di same title wey God give David. Zerubbabel no ever become king. E no ever wear crown. But God promise to David family still dey alive, and God imself hold am, like ring for im own hand.

Seal like dis na part of everyday life for ancient Israel. Seal na small stone wey dem carve, wey dem dey often put inside ring or hang for rope. Di owner go press am inside soft clay to close and sign one document. Archaeologists for Israel don find plenty of dis kind clay mark, wey dem dey call bullae, and some of dem carry di names of royal officials wey we know from di Bible. Anybody wey hold di king signet fit act with di king full authority, so to be God signet ring mean to carry im authority and to dey close to am.

You go find dis promise for Haggai chapter two, verse twenty reach twenty-three. Both Matthew and Luke put Zerubbabel name inside di family line of Jesus. Di promise wey God seal with dat ring finally come true inside one baby wey dem born for Bethlehem. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Something dey for your life wey be like say dem don throw am away, wey God fit wan pick up and restore?