Haggai
1 reminds me of a recent study about the habits of the successful.
My short synopsis is; high achievers are very disciplined about using
their time for the things they prioritized. Low priorities do not
occupy their day. We always find time for the things we want
to do. The central question of two-chapter book is, what are you
spending your time building? The chapter begins methodically with
the exact date of the letter in September, 520 BC, making it the
first Word from God to the tiny remnant returning to Jerusalem after
the Babylonian Exile. The prophet begins, with God’s rebuke of
those saying “The time has not
yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house“.
He adds a stinging question “Is
it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses,
while this house remains a ruin?”
The first group that returned to reoccupy Jerusalem found much of
what they left behind in ruins. Apparently, most decided to focus on
making their own homes very comfortable before getting around to
fixing the Temple. God issued this warning through Haggai, “Give
careful thought to your ways“.
This is an interesting way to say, be careful what you do. The
emphasis is on “doing”. Others cannot see what you are thinking,
but everyone can see what you are doing (or NOT doing).
He
continues, “You have planted
much, but harvested little. You
eat, but never have enough“.
He is saying, you are wasting time on things that are of little
value. You guys are just spinning your wheels, “You
earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it“.
He repeats the warning, “Give
careful thought to your ways“.
Do you know the things you should be doing? Here is the cool thing,
He tells them! “Go up into the
mountains and bring down timber and build My house“.
Do you have a priority for what you are doing?
God
gave them an answer to their frustration, “You
expected much… it turned out to be little“.
Does that sound familiar? “Why?
…Because
of My house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with
your own house“. You may be
thinking that God is being egotistical, but remember the purpose of
the Temple. It was the place where sacrifices were offered for
atonement and forgiveness of sins. The Temple was necessary for the
people to be cleansed. Is joy missing from your home and work?
Remember; “Unless the Lord
builds the house, the builders labor in vain”
(Psalm 127:1). Perhaps you too have not dealt with sin first? The
small band of rebuilders responded by reprioritizing life, “the
whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God
and the message of the prophet Haggai… because… God had sent
him“. Notice the result, “the
whole remnant of the people… came and began to work on the house of
the Lord Almighty“. Please
understand that Jesus completed the work of the Temple on the cross;
so that today we can have forgiveness by faith. Remember Peter’s
answer to Jesus question, “Who
do you say that I Am?” “You
are the Messiah, the Son of the living God“.
Jesus added, “on this rock I
will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it”
(Matthew 16:17). Knowing that isn’t enough, we must now take
action. 1 Corinthians 8:1 says, “knowledge
puffs up while love builds up“.
Friend, what are you planning to build today?