GOD’S renovation project
Haggai 1
When we moved to Eastern Europe one of the surprising things I noticed were all the buildings in the process of being built. First of all everything was built of brick. And secondly it looked like most of the buildings were just sitting there half built or built with no windows yet or with only a few walls. People built their home with whatever money they had. Then they ran out and finally some completely gave up and immigrated. I wonder what the state of your spiritual life is? If you could draw your spiritual life like a building project, what would it look like?
What things are dragging you down from building God’s kingdom? What is holding you back? This is the question we will answer as we look at the situation of the Jewish people in the book of Haggai as they try to rebuild the Temple.
The trouble for the Jews came as a direct result of their betrayal of the Lord, they had worshipped the idols of the Canaanites, persecuted the prophets of God and the result? God sent them into captivity into Babylon and allowed the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. It was devastating. But several decades later, the Lord opened the door for the Jews to finally return to their homeland and rebuild. They were a revived nation – they trusted the Lord again. They were led by Godly men such as Zerubbabel and Jeshua to return to the city and begin rebuilding and God miraculously opened those doors as they walked ahead in faith.
The first project? The temple which was lying in ruins. God led the Jews to get started on this awesome work and they quickly rebuilt the altar and re-established worship. Then later they completed the foundation of the whole temple. They were set to complete the project fairly quickly when the work came to a screeching halt.
What happened? The people of the land – pagans – insisted on participating in the project. The Jews refused to allow them because the Lord had commanded them to remain separate from the non-believers; to not associate with them because it would lead to following their lifestyle.
The consequence? These people of the land began persecuting the Jews. They did everything in their power to oppose the work on the temple, even writing to the Persian authorities about a rebellion among the Jews.
Fearful and discouraged, the rebuilding project stopped…for 14 years.
Why did they stop?
Discouragement. (Ezra 4:1)
It stops the work God intends us to do. Discouragement has a way of tearing us down and destroying purpose in our lives. It is one of the enemy’s most successful weapons against the believer. Hopelessness is horrible and can go on for years. Notice that it paralyzed God’s work. Discouragement says: It can’t be done!
And so this situation remained until God sent the prophet Haggai who preached the word bringing revival. It’s one of the shortest books in the Old Testament and yet packs a powerful punch. What Haggai does is that he points out the source of all their problems, discouragement, and despair. And through this he reveals the real reasons behind the paralysis of God’s work in our midst today.
The second reason for the stoppage of God’s work is procrastination. “Thus says the Lord of Hosts: these people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” (vs. 2)
Procrastination is defined as “putting off intentionally something that should be done.” It’s not that you can’t do it – it’s just that you don’t want to do it NOW. We might say: “why not put off today what I can do tomorrow.” Sounds like my ‘honey’do’ list. Very often procrastination is simply veiled in religious language – waiting on God. Yes, many times in Scripture we are called to wait – wait upon the Lord – be patient – the Lord is not slow about his promise.
The Israelites made this fatal mistake when God was ready to bring them into the promised land. 12 spies sent in and the response of 10 of them: “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.” (Num. 13:31). This is actually true! THEY are not able to go against the people but GOD is! The problem was that after waiting for 430 years to get back to the promised land, when the moment finally came to go there, they backed out and refused.
Many Christians can spend their entire life waiting upon God for something or other and basically resign to the fact that God will never open a door the way they want it opened. For example – sharing our testimonies.
Caleb didn’t wait even though the door looked closed – giants filled the land of his inheritance. Instead, he took the land and drove out the giants! (Josh. 15:14-15) Was it easy? After 45 years you would think he would have plenty of excuses to NOT fight and not enter into God’s calling. He was too old and the promises were so long ago. But it doesn’t matter. He went ahead and trusted God.
Friends, don’t use procrastination as an excuse for not completing what God has called you to do! He is faithful! He WILL provide! As the Bible says: “Now is the favorable time, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:2)
The third reason why the work was stopped was a lack of proper priorities.
They live in nice houses and neglect God’s house. (4) The fundamental reason for the lack of obedience was that God’s people weren’t willing to allow their relationship with the Lord to be their highest priority. First came their own safety and comfort; then later would come the worship of God. If conditions were right and there were no problems involved, then they would continue with the work on the temple.
God was simply not their Lord. They had the same attitude as the rich man who wanted to follow Christ. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.” (Mat 19:21-22) „You cannot serve two masters” (Mat. 6:24) including the master of one’s own comfort and security.
Lack of Christ-centered priority is a certain way to prevent revival today. Why should we expect God to pour out his blessing if he’s not our first and highest love? Ernest Baker puts it well: „We ask God to bend the heavens and to come down. We want him to bare his arm. His strength must be exercised; but we ourselves want to take things easy” (103-104, The Revivals of the Bible). No revival will come unless God’s people are willing to follow Jesus wherever he may lead, despite risk, insecurity, or discomfort. We sing “I surrender all” but in reality we surrender only a comfortable portion – no wonder God is not working in powerful ways in our lives.
Friends, we too need to surrender all and allow the Lord to be ruler of our lives – even above family!
The funny thing is that we rarely put two and two together. Like the Jews, we don’t realize the consequence for our actions. We put off things, and take it easy and put other things ahead of God but don’t see the connection with our day to day life.
Notice what Haggai says to them: (5-6) “you have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.” What is he saying? Because of their sins, their labors are fruitless! You’re not accomplishing anything.
These people were hard workers! They have sown MUCH. They are doing their best to provide for themselves and their families. They are living in the land of promise and worshipping the Lord. All the pieces are in place. These are what we would call GOOD people. And yet they are filled with such suffering.
God tells them this in verse 9: “You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? Declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.”
Compromise with our relationship to the Lord, putting ourselves and our families, and our ‘things’ above our commitment to the Lord has serious consequences. Some of us may actually suffer physical losses as they did in the Old Testament. God sometimes allows disaster to strike in order to bring us to repentance just as he did with the prodigal son who was plagued with a famine that finally broke him.
But other consequences of compromise are even more evident: stress, worry, fear, guilt, lack of peace, lack of joy. Yes, as believers we WILL suffer like anybody – but because of the Lord you can suffer without stress, without worry, without fear, guilt or lack of peace.
But what often happens? We experience this inner turmoil. Why? Our hearts and minds are bound and linked to the things of this world and those things instead of the Lord and these things are very precarious. They can change in an instant. We cling to them.
Picture a rock climber who ascends a 500 foot cliff. He’s halfway up and as he goes he feels for the tiniest crevasse and his fingers claw into that crack with all his might. His lifts up his body by his finger tips slowly climbing the face. But it’s JUST a rock. It’s JUST the strength of his grip that keeps him from falling. That is precarious!
Joshua, just before he died spoke to the Israelites in one last warning as they inherited the land of promise. He warns them (23:12,13): “For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, ….they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes…” We don’t cling, depend upon, put our life in anything on this earth – that means relationships of family too. If we put them as priorities above God – we face traps, snares, whips, and thorns. Those are painful consequences!
OUR RESPONSE
1. Let go and Cling to the Lord
Joshua tells them this in verse 8: “but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day.” He is the only one who won’t disappoint, he won’t fail in strength, he won’t be defeated, he won’t crumble under stress and worry.
Last week we were camping in the Black Hills and for the first two days it was basically rainy, wet weather. I remember one night it didn’t stop raining the whole night. I could just hear those heavy drops hitting the tent like little BB’s. At moments like that it makes you realize how vulnerable we really are. A piece of fabric is between me and a cold and hard rain. And what’s to keep a branch from falling down and crushing us during the night? Psalm 59:16-17 “But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. 17 O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.” We are truly fragile and vulnerable – ever one of us. But if we surrender our lives to Christ who died for us, God’s hand is always over and around us. No matter how vulnerable the situation appears. He WILL PROVIDE!
2. Trust in the Lord’s promise!
The Lord certainly confronted his people to get back to the work on the temple but he also gave them one crucial promise for them to cling to found in verse 12: “I am with you.”
Their response wasn’t just a symbolic lip-service but was followed through with action – they walked in obedience. Nothing had changed as far as the conditions: they were still threatened by the Samaritans. But the difference was now that they were living on the promise of God: “I am with you.” This was the same promise God assured Joshua (Josh. 1:5) as they were about to invade the promised land full of fear concerning the unknown. That promise gave God’s people strength and courage back then and it did so again during Haggai’s time.
3. Obey – get back to what God called you to do!
Beautiful thing to see: Haggai 1:14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,
The promises of God always restore us to faith and confidence in God. That is the supernatural power of God’s Word. It takes a scared and disobedient man and makes him bold and courageous in the face of impossibility.
Will you face discouragement with me?
Will you face procrastination with me?
Will you face a lack of Godly priorities with me?
Will you surrender all to the Lord and trust in the promise of God: I will be with you.
He WILL! He is HERE. He is holding you in his righteous right hand and will not let you go. Trust him and get back to the renovation work God has for you!
