Last Sunday, we saw the command to put God first. One way of showing that the Lord is first in our lives, that we are dependent on Him, is through our prayers.
One time, a pastor found himself seated beside a Muslim during a plane ride. He then shared the Good News to him. To his pleasant surprise, when he challenged the Muslim to receive the Lord as Savior, he readily said, “Yes!” So, the pastor led him in a prayer of acceptance. After praying, the Muslim exclaimed, “Isn’t that wonderful? Now I have Jesus AND Mohammed!” There are times when we are like that Muslim. We treat God as an add-on. We want a convenient God, Someone who would not disturb our lives, our daily routine. Yes, we will pay our dues by faithfully going to church and giving our money. But, we want it our way. We don’t want this God to dictate what He wants from us. It is good to have Him with us. Of course, we want Him to bring us to heaven. Yet, here on earth, we want a comfortable life. Yes, we will receive His blessings. We want Him to help us deal with our problems. We want to be pampered. But, as far as His commands are concerned, we ask for more time to think about it. We want to enjoy life on our own, without Him meddling in our affairs. But, God is not a plug-in. He is Lord, the master of our lives. He does not want just to be in our lives. He wants our lives to revolve on Him.
That is the message of Haggai. He challenged the people to RESUME work on God’s temple: This is what the LORD Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come for the LORD’s house to be built.’” Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”[1] There are times we think the same way. It’s always time for our selves. But, not for God. He can wait. He would understand. We do not mind when the basketball game goes over time. But, we complain when the worship service goes overtime. We always find time for our friends or our favorite TV show or we can always adjust our schedule when our boss calls for a meeting. But, when it comes to church activities, we make it appear we are too busy.
As a result of their misplaced priorities, the Lord punished them. The Message version vividly captures their situation: “Take a good, hard look at your life. Think it over. You have spent a lot of money, but you haven’t much to show for it. You keep filling your plates, but you never get filled up. You keep drinking and drinking and drinking, but you’re always thirsty. You put on layer after layer of clothes, but you can’t get warm. And the people who work for you, what are they getting out of it? Not much… You’ve had great ambitions for yourselves, but nothing has come of it.”[2] And we can reap the same punishment. Is there an “unfinished temple” in your life?
Thus, Haggai commanded the people to put God first. “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,’ says the LORD.”[3] Putting God first REQUIRES RESETTING our priorities. The people responded. They picked up where they left off. They started work again on the temple. However, this was not just another building project. Rebuilding the temple was an expression of their faith to God. It was an act of worship. What is it that the Lord has been asking you to do?
And the Lord is not yet through with them. He dealt with them not only corporately and also personally. It has been around four months since they started work on the temple. Yet, they still experienced difficulties. Haggai answered through an illustration: “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests what the law says: If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?’ The priests answered, ‘No.’ Then Haggai said, ‘If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?’ ‘Yes,’ the priests replied, ‘it becomes defiled.’”[4] In other words, if a clean thing touches an unclean one, does it make that clean? The answer obviously is “No.” If I pour clean water in a glass of dirty water, does it make it clean? No. If an unclean thing touches a clean one, does it make it unclean? The obvious answer is “Yes.” So, if I pour dirty water in a glass of purified water, does it make it unclean? Yes. What was Haggai’s point? Verse 14 says, “‘So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,’ declares the LORD. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.’” The temple is clean. But, even if they work on the temple, that does not make them clean. They have to deal with their sins. They have to confess it before God. Warren Wiersbe wrote, “It is not enough to do God’s work; we must do it with clean hands and a pure heart. Unconfessed sin is one of the greatest obstacles to accomplishing the Lord’s work.”[5]
Some of us serve God or give to Him out of guilt. We know we need to settle some things with God. But we could not give up a bad habit or a pet sin. We know we need to deal with certain issues with our lives. But, we won’t do it. For example, we get so busy at work we even miss out on worship. So, we try to compensate by giving big offerings. We think it would offset our shortcomings. That’s what politicians do. They are generous to religious organizations to make up for their corruption. The Lord’s answer through Haggai is, “No. That’s not enough. You need to confess and commit.” We are to serve God not out of duty but out of devotion. We are to give not to soothe our guilty conscience but to show gratitude for what God has done in our lives. Is there something that you need to confess before God?
When the people decided to put God first, He told them, “RECEIVE My blessings.” The Lord promised His provisions. “Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. From this day on I will bless you.”[6] This provision was not only for their needs but also for the rebuilding of the temple. “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”[7] This promise ultimately refers to the future millennial temple to be erected after the second coming of Christ. Scholars believe that the clause “the desired of all nations will come” points to our Lord Jesus. However, we see a partial fulfillment of it during that time.
In Ezra 5:1-3 we read: “Now Haggai the prophet… prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem… At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, ‘Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?’” They explained that King Cyrus gave them a previous permission but the work was not finished. Remember that persecution stopped the work of God. Zerubbabel, the governor overseeing the project, might be getting discouraged. He must be thinking, “Oh, no! Not again!” But God encouraged him through Haggai 2:21-22. “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.” God assured Zerubbabel that he would take care of the enemies of Israel. God will not only provide, He will protect them.
So, Tattenai wrote King Darius, the one reigning at that time, to check the royal records if there was indeed such an order in the past. What happened next was a miracle of God’s provision. Not only that the king confirmed that there was an order to rebuild the temple, note what he ordered: “Governor Tattenai of Western Province and Shethar Bozenai, you and your advisors must stay away from the temple. Let the Jewish governor and leaders rebuild it where it stood before. And stop slowing them down! Starting right now, I am ordering you to help the leaders by paying their expenses from the tax money collected in Western Province. And don’t fail to let the priests in Jerusalem have whatever they need each day so they can offer sacrifices to the God of heaven… I want them to be able to offer pleasing sacrifices to God and to pray for me and my family. If any of you don’t obey this order, a wooden beam will be taken from your house and sharpened on one end. Then it will be driven through your body, and your house will be torn down and turned into a garbage dump. I ask the God who is worshiped in Jerusalem to destroy any king or nation who tries either to change what I have said or to tear down his temple.”[8] The Lord indeed shook the nations! Truly, when God calls, He enables. He provided for the rebuilding of the temple! Four years later, they completed the temple. Yes, putting God first RESULTS in REAPING His blessings.
Not only provision and protection, God also blessed Zerubbabel with promotion. “‘On that day,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”[9] God assured Zerubbabel of his calling: “I have chosen you”. That’s why he should not give up. What’s a signet ring? “A signet ring was what kings used to designate royal authority and personal ownership”.[10] If we look at the genealogies or the family trees of both Joseph and Mary, we find that they have Zerubbabel as their common ancestor. “A signet speaks of authority and honor. God gave Zerubbabel authority to finish the temple; God gave His Son authority to save the lost and build His temple, the church”.[11] Maybe you may have taken a stand for God in your company or in your school. You decided to do what is right, not what is popular. You made tough decisions that caused people to criticize you. It was hard. You almost gave up. But, you chose to trust God. Like Zerubbabel, I believe God will lift you up. He will be the one to promote you, to defend you, to vindicate your name. That decision would prove to be right. And when that happens, I pray that you would make the most of the opportunity to share Christ with them.
And more than provision, protection and promotion, God also promised His presence. In Haggai 1:13, He promised, “I am with you.” Again, He repeated that in Haggai 2:3-5. “‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD. ‘Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the LORD Almighty. ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’” That’s why the Lord said in Haggai 2:9, “‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” Though the temple of Solomon that was destroyed was grander than the temple they just built, even if it seems nothing compared to that previous temple, what made it more glorious was the presence of God. What does it look like to have the Lord with us? His presence gives us strength. He said, “Be strong.” He will also give courage for He said, “Do not fear.” He promised peace. “I will grant peace.” Strength to carry on His work, courage to continue and the peace in the midst of the challenges we are facing and we will face as we seek to obey God.
Brothers and sisters, putting God first requires resetting our priorities that would result in reaping His blessings. Let us pray…
[1]Haggai 1:2-4. All Bible verses are from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.
[2]1:5-6, 8.
[3]1:7-8.
[4]2:11-13.
[5]Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament.
[6]Haggai 2:19.
[7]2:6-8.
[8]6:6-12. Contemporary English Version.
[9]2:23.
[10]Thomas Constable, Notes on Haggai 2007 Edition.
[11]Wiersbe.
