What do weddings, championships, graduations, royal officials, religious rulers, Olympic games, trees, and boxing all have in common? RINGS! Rings can symbolize love and commitment, power and authority, wealth and status, accomplishment, longevity, identity and fellowship, or they can simply mean, I liked this bauble and wanted it! There are even “smart rings” now, that can acquire and transmit body data such as heart rate, exercise, rest time and quality, etc. Signet rings, historically, have been used not only as a symbol of authority and identity, but also to seal legal documents, prove authenticity, and mark ownership or authorship – use of them is like a signature.

In the Biblical book of Haggai, the Lord refers to one of His diligent servants, Zerubbabel (Zeb for short 😉) as His “signet ring”. “The word of the Lord came to Haggai…“Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth… ‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel’… declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” (Haggai 2:20-23)

God tells Zeb not only did He “choose him”, but through Zeb, He is going to “shake the heavens and the earth”.  This was a man who, despite obstacles and opposition, obeyed the Lord and was diligent to the task to which God had called him.

Do we listen to the Lord and obey His words despite challenges and obstacles? Do we lean into Jesus so much that He says “You are my signet ring”?! Zeb must have shined the light and glory of the Lord wherever He went because that’s what signet rings do…they leave the mark of the one who’s symbol they bear.

What an honor to be seen as an ambassador to the King of all kings! He has chosen us, His valued creation, to do His work. The more we spend time with Him and seek to obey and serve Him, the more we will look like Him to those with whom we come in contact. We will then leave the Lord’s signature wherever we go and will indeed shake heaven and earth, because the Lord is mighty and works powerfully through us.