Haggai is the 2nd shortest book in the OT, after Obadiah (last Sunday).
• We are down to the last 3 books of the Minor Prophets and also the last 3 chronologically – Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
• Haggai and Zechariah spoke to the Israelites after their return from captivity, challenging the people to rebuild the Temple of God.
• Malachi is the last of the prophets. His prophesy marks the end of an era because after him we have 400 years of silence where no biblical prophet speaks or writes.
• After the long silence, we have the NT period when Jesus was born.
Haggai spoke to the Israelites that had returned after 70 years of captivity.
• In the first year of their return, they built an altar to make sacrificial offerings to God (Ezra 3:1-6).
• In the second year, they started rebuilding the Temple of God and the foundation was laid (Ezra 3:8-13; 5:16).
But it did not continue. They were distracted and pressurised by the people in the surrounding lands to give up the work (Ezra 4).
• Ezra 4:4-5 “Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.”
• Ezra 4:24 “Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.”
That’s right, until Haggai came into the picture, which was nearly 20 years later.
[Read Haggai 1:1-15]
Nothing was done to rebuild the house of God and the people have become apathetic and complacent.
• Haggai challenged them to get back to rebuilding the Temple.
• We can tell the exact timing of these events because Haggai dated them clearly. Recorded here are 4 messages spanning over 4 months in the year 520BC.
• Though short, Haggai’s words did move the people and they repented. He rekindled the passion of the people for God.
The anchoring verse that I am using is Haggai 1:9
“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.”
We are going to learn from the messages of Haggai, what it takes to truly experience life to the fullest, that which is abundant and fulfilling.
The significance of this work does not lie with the building of the Temple itself, but with the restoration of a proper worship of God. The people need to have God as the centre of their lives.
• Without the Temple of God, there won’t be the worship of God. And without the worship of God, the people are left without a spiritual compass.
• They lived only for themselves, which was what happened. They lived for their own comfort and enjoyment. Their only worldview was a materialistic one, just like many today. They lives for themselves, everything revolves around them.
• They have left God actually, that’s why God addresses them as “These people say…” in 1:2, rather than, “My people”.
But Haggai is going to change all that. God sent him to awaken His people.
• What does it takes to have an abundant and fulfilling life, the kind that God has designed for us to live?
1. Establish the Priorities – Make God the Centre
The people need to return to God. Without Him, they can never be fulfilled in life, as the Lord said.
• They can work hard and try their best to get what they want, but they will never have enough, have their fill or feel warm. They are unable to keep what they’ve earned.
• Without God, something will always be missing. Blaise Pascal: "There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man that only God can fill."
• St Augustine of Hippo: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
We know the state of the people’s hearts from the words God quoted (1:2): “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come for the Lord’s house to be built.’”
• This is a lame excuse. The Lord responded in verse 3 – my own paraphrase: “Yah right, it is not the right time to build God’s house, but it’s the right time for you to enjoy the comfort of your panelled houses…”
• They have the time and the resources to build themselves posh houses but not the Lord’s house. They considered their own wants, but not the need of God’s house.
There is something here for us to think about: We always seem to find the time for the things we really care about.
• We will not miss a friend’s wedding but we can skip a church service. We seldom miss a flight but we can be late for an appointment.
• Some things are just too important FOR us. In order words, if you TAG a value to God’s house, you would have done it.
We have chosen not to do some things, not because they are unimportant, but because they require more from us – more effort, more time, more sacrifices, more inconveniences.
• It’s easier to say, “It’s not the right time, let leave it. God’s house can wait.”
• The Israelites are in fact saying, “If we have the time, if the condition is better, if we have enough people, if it is convenient… then maybe, we can consider building the Temple.” It is the giving of what is leftover.
At its core, the real issue is not about time; it is an issue of PRIORITIES.
• That explains why Haggai said it a couple of times: “Give careful thought…”
• “Give careful thought to your ways” (1:5, 7), “Now give careful thought to this form this day on” (2:15), twice in 2:18 “From this day on… give careful thought”.
• THINK, think properly; weigh the issues and know what is important.
A priority is NOT an issue of TIME; it is an issue of the HEART. It boils down to what they really care about.
• What do you really care about today? God and His work? Or you and your own life. Jesus: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34)
God deserves more attention than they care to give. God deserves the best, so let’s offer Him our best.
• Consider how you are spending your time, talents and treasures. Don’t give Him leftovers. Put God first.
2. Recognise the Source – Trust God the Giver
Haggai 1:5-6 “Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
The people have become consumed with stuff, especially their own stuff.
• They work hard to ensure that they have food to eat, water to drink, clothes to wear, and nice homes.
• Sound similar to what Jesus said in Matt 6 right? He said, “Do not worry about these things, your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt 6:33)
If we try to go for these without God, we can never be fulfilled.
• Haggai says it’s like keeping their wages in “purse with holes”. It leaks. It will never be enough.
• Things cannot satisfy us, only God can. The Lord says, “You can work hard and reap little, eat and never have enough. Why, because I am the true Giver. I can cause the heavens to withhold their dew, call for a drought and cause the ground not to produce, despite the works of your hands.”
• It will not be because they are not hard-working enough; it will be because they have left God out of their lives.
God is drawing attention to Himself as the Giver and Sustainer of life.
• Eccl 6:7 “All man’s efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.”
• The richest man on earth, David says (Psa 23): “For if the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.”
Here is the secret to a blessed life – recognise the source, trust the Giver.
• Seek the Blesser and you’ll have the blessings. Seek the blessings (things of this world) and you may miss the Blesser.
3. Restore the Glory – Give God the Glory
GOD assures them He is with them in the work. [Read Haggai 2:1-9]
• God is not concerned about the façade, about the look of the exterior building. It’s all about Him. It’s all about His presence. It’s all about His glory.
• He can fill the present house (smaller and less glamorous) with GREATER GLORY.
Don’t be too concerned about the looks, the number of people, or the size of the church. Be concerned rather with the GLORY OF GOD.
• Ultimately we are to GLORIFY God – with our life, with our work, with our ministry.
We tend to focus on the externals in all that we do. I remember when I started serving in ministry these are what I am concerned about - how did it go, did I perform well, what did the people think, did I look good. It is all about the impressions I give them, rather than God. I am more concerned with how men think of me than how God thinks of me.
It is like the interesting comment that Jesus made in Mark 12:38-40 “As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets. …and for a show make lengthy prayers.” And the Lord concluded with, “Such men will be punished most severely." Why are such behaviours so offensive to God? They rob God of His glory.
Don’t be too concerned about making an impression. Be concerned about the GLORY OF GOD. We live for the audience of One. In everything we do, we glorify our heavenly Father!
