I’ve Got Holes in my Pockets
Haggai 1: 6, 7
6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
This text focuses on five messages given to the prophet Haggai as Israel enjoyed life after exile.
The Jews had been in captivity for many years in Babylon.
During that time they had wept, mourned and prayed that God would deliver them from their exile.
I think that daily they watched and prayed for Jerusalem and yearned to see its walls.
If you will remember, Daniel opened his windows facing Jerusalem and prayed.
In all of their troubles and suffering the Jews never stopped hoping and praying that they would one day return to Jerusalem.
While they were in Babylon they managed to have some faith in God but their formal worship life disappeared.
In Psalm 137:1-4 they said;
1 ¶ By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, sing us one of the songs of Zion.
4 How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?
Our scripture text takes place about 16 years after Cyrus decreed that the Jews could return to Jerusalem from the exile.
He allowed them to take financial security and even materials to rebuild their temple, according to the book of Ezra 1:1-5.
So they finally got to do what they had yearned to do for many years, return to Jerusalem.
But once they were there they spent their time building a life for themselves.
Even though God had blessed them for a purpose, they ignored the purpose of their return and paid attention to their own growth and prosperity and ignored God’s intention.
God’s intention and even theirs when they left Babylon was to rebuild the house of God. That was to be their first priority.
Once they settled in Jerusalem their priorities changed.
In verse two they are saying, “It is not time to build the house of the Lord.”
All of a sudden they came up with new ideas on what to do with all the free-will offerings and building materials given to them by Cyrus the King. (Ezra 1:1-5)
So they built for themselves fine homes, the most modern for that time.
They planted themselves fine crops and prospered.
They made and bought fine clothing for themselves.
Those who worked made good wages; in retrospect, the Jews were living better than they had ever lived before.
They had more stuff, they ate more, having need of nothing; and were generally in better shape than they had ever been.
Shame on them! They yearned for Jerusalem! They prayed and longed for a temple where they could meet with God and perform their worship.
In Psalm 137: 5-6;
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.
If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
Oh what a picture of the condition of many Christians today!
There was a time when we prayed for revival to sweep across our land.
There was a time when serving God was our most top priority!
There was a time when we yearned for the out-pouring of the Holy Ghost.
I am told that during World War II, when there was so many of our service personal being killed behind enemy lines, that churches across America would gather and pray for our nation.
There was a time when Adolph Hitler was advancing with his armies and the Japanese armies were making tremendous progress that America called upon the name of the Lord.
There was the depression year that lasted during most of the 1930’s (most of us do not remember).
It began in the United States and quickly spread to Europe and every part of the world, with devastating effects in both industrialized countries.
International trade declined sharply, as did personal incomes, tax revenues, prices and profits. Cities all around the world were hit hard.
Unemployment and homelessness soared. Construction was virtually halted in many countries. Farming and rural areas suffered as prices for crops fell by 40–60%.
It was virtually impossible to find a job. Many families got by on the most meager of resources.
I understand that people called upon God to meet their needs. Revival stirred in the land.
But now we live in a land of prosperity! And it seems our priorities are no longer committing ourselves to God.
In the midst of Israel’s prosperity God raised up the prophet Haggai who must have come as an unpopular presence.
He said, “Here is what God has to say, ‘Consider your ways.’”
Think carefully concerning your ways!
They were living well they had forgotten their commitment to the House of God!
Their charge was to renovate the temple, then to maintain it with their tithes and offerings as they worshipped, sang and gave sacrifices unto God.
Instead they indulged themselves!
Then God said as long as His temple stood in need, they would begin to have hole in their pockets.
"Ye have sown, and been bringing in but little; ye have been eating, but not to being satisfied; ye have been drinking, but not to being filled; ye have been putting on clothes, but not to being warmed"
Have not enough-But what you eat doth not nourish or satisfy you. Are not filled-Your water quenches not your thirst; your wine does not revive your spirit. None warm-You have no comfort therein.
Isn’t that the way it is today?
We never seem to have enough! We have much but we want more!
We want a better car, a better house, a better TV, a better computer, a better job, a better this or that!
It seems most people in our country are never satisfied!
We are never filled! Our thirst is never quenched! Nothing seems to give us lasting satisfaction, contentment and pleasure.
But as long as our souls are lacking that commitment and responsibility to God, it will be as if we have holes in our pockets!
We put all these things of life in there, but it leaks out!
There is no lasting fulfillment, no lasting joy, no lasting peace, no lasting contentment and satisfaction!
Haggai reminded the people in chapter 2 that refusing to support the temple building and carry out their purpose, every work of their hands was unclean in His sight.
Haggai told them that if they would make a commitment and respond to God’s plans for their lives that he would bless them from this day!
I wonder how many of us this morning are walking around with holes in our pockets.
We come to church and our motives look convincing to those around us.
We come to church when we feel like it!
We pray when we feel like it!
We worship and praise the Lord when we feel like it!
But that’s not really where our priorities are!
Our priorities are doing what the flesh wants us to do!
We’re not committed! We’re not dedicated! We’re not steadfast! We’re not really loyal to God and His service!
I’m sorry if you don’t like this message today, but I love you too much to give you candy all the time!
You need to hear the Word of God, and sometimes it hits us where it hurts!
There are too many Christians today walking around with holes in their pockets.
Too many Christians have their priorities in the things of this world satisfying their own selfish desires.
Too many Christians have no joy, peace and happiness because they are placing their emphasis on things that do not and can not satisfy.
Micah 6:14 “Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.
Too many Christians are too busy working, trying to get ahead, trying to make more, trying to attain a certain level in the financial realm, but even though they have much, it does not bring fulfillment in life.
We lose out spiritually when we focus on the carnal appetites of the flesh.
So what do we need to do? We need to begin to focus on what God intended for us.
What’s that? Mark 12:30 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”
“Well, Pastor I do love the Lord!”
Do you love Him enough to make Him Lord of your life?
Do you love Him enough to commit everything to Him?
Do you live Him enough to work for Him, doing whatsoever He asks you to do?
Do you love Him enough to be faithful to His House?
Do you love Him enough to give of your finances?”
Do you love Him enough to forsake all your ambitions if need be to do what He wants you to do?
Do you love Him enough to take time out of each day to pray and read His Word?
Or, are you going to continue putting your desires into pockets with holes.
Going back to the book of Haggai, about 24 days after Haggai’s first message to the Jews the leaders of the kingdom responded by deciding to obey God.
In response the Lord sent them word that he would be with them.
Then God said to the leaders, “Be strong!”
He said to the high priests, “Be strong!”
He said to the people, “I am with you!”
Even though they had misused much of the resources that God intended from them to use for the building of the temple, He reminded them not to be intimidated with lack of resources.
He said, “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine.”
Church, when we turn to God as the Lord of our lives, commit our ways unto the Him fully, entirely, wholly, absolutely, totally, and altogether, He will bless us!
He will open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
