Page 117 - Divinity_F5

Divinity for Advanced Secondary Schools

helpful to analyse the irresponsibility of Joyful remembrance: The pearl and
the people of Judah and Jerusalem in the importance of responsibility
light of the disobedience of God’s people The name Haggai means joyous, while
and its consequences in Deuteronomy Zechariah means God remembers.
28 and Amos 4. Responding to God’s Ours is God’s given responsibility.
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instructions and deeds brings blessings; Responsibility began with God. The
however, ignoring his calls and giving Bible attests to this. As we see in the
whatever excuses bring bad results for books of Haggai and Zechariah, God
which we are responsible. was responsible for the return of the
exiled Israelites, and the returnees were
The people of Judah did not get stuck expected to act responsibly. However,
in irresponsibility; they finally acted responsibility can already be traced
responsibly. Upon receiving God’s to God in the creation. We read in the
message, they acted in obedience. This book of Genesis, “In the beginning, God
is seen in the book of Haggai as they created the heavens and Earth” (Gen.
engage themselves in rebuilding the 1:1). God later created man and woman
temple and in the book of Zechariah and instructed them to ‘subdue’ the
as they repented. Today’s Church and Earth (Gen. 1:28). With this, humankind
society need to learn that God’s message was given responsibility. Therefore, one
can change people from irresponsible to should note that God first performed
responsible citizens. a responsibility in giving humankind
responsibility.
Activity 7.4

Reflect on different characters in the Humankind has reflected ambivalence in
books of Haggai and Zechariah. response to God’s given responsibility.
On the one hand, humanity has responded
with obedience to God’s instructions.
Exercise 7.4 On the other hand, humanity has been

1. Elaborate the roles of Haggai and indifferent to the assigned responsibility.
Zechariah in connection to the Humanity’s evasion of responsibility has
current life of your society. brought calamities to the world she/he

2. What transformed the irresponsible was tasked to safeguard.
returnees into responsible builders?
We, therefore, live in a world characterised
3. How can you inspire resilient by suffering, which is, to a large extent,
individuals to participate in
rebuilding infrastructure damaged attributable to our irresponsibility.
by various disasters including Examples of neglected actions that have
floods? resulted in suffering at personal, family
and societal levels abound. For instance,

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