PRIORITIES—II—Haggai 1:1-15
Attention:
Teen Inmate Priorities:
Two teenagers were arrested, & upon arriving at the jail facility, the officer told them they could each make one phone call.
Several minutes after their phone calls, a man showed up & asked for the new prisoners by name.
“I assume you're their lawyer?” the officer asked.
“No,” came the reply. “I'm just here to deliver the pizza they ordered.”
•Instead of securing the help they really needed, they ordered pizza!
WE Need:
Priorities in our sphere of influence(land).
Priorities in God’s people.
Priorities upon a Return to God.
•Perhaps you have spent some time away from God.
•Perhaps you have withheld an area of your life from God.
•Perhaps you don’t know what to do next...Lonely, Fearful, Unsettled, Living with the results of your poor choices & you feel trapped.
Haggai exhorted those returning from exile to prioritize their relationship with God.
God’s people must prioritize their relationship with God.
How must God’s people prioritize their relationship with God?
3 assessments securing a proper relationship with God.
We’ve already found that, •A prioritized relationship with God properly assesses...
1. The TIME(:1-2)
2. The WORD(:1, 3)
3—A prioritized relationship with God properly assesses...
PERSONAL MOTIVATION(:4-5)
Explanation:(:4-5)Driver/Impetus/Stimulus
:4—“Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, & this temple to lie in ruins?””
:5—“Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!””
Attempt to lessen accountability to God by avoiding His people.
:4—“Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, & this temple to lie in ruins?””
Upon returning to Jerusalem, the people had fallen victim to misplaced priorities. They obviously set self over YHWH.
“Paneled” “refers to an overlay of some kind” “definitely wood”, but it may be plaster.”—EBC Thus, God problem with the people is that they had chosen to not just establish their own “houses”, but to adorn(“paneled”) them, while minimizing or neglecting the LORD’s house(“temple”)!
Prioritizing their physical homes above that of the national/corporate center for recognition of YHWH’s presence & guidance, was a result of the people’s aloofness from God. Rather than establishing the “Lord’s house” first, they had chosen to establish their own houses(:4, 9).
That same mentality is what compelled Jesus to state in Mat. 6:33—“But seek first the kingdom of God & His righteousness & all these things shall be added to you.” The priority of any child of God should be to first establish a center for corporate worship & work in the Lord, prior to establishing any personal attachment to an area or location or house design or school system, etc. God must be “glorified”(:8) ‘above’ all else. And in order for God to be glorified, He must take priority in every area of our lives.
“Many Christians are like those ancient Hebrews[some 2500 yrs ago], “somehow convincing themselves that economy in constructing church buildings is all-important while at the same time sparing no expense in acquiring their personal luxuries.”—Robert L. Alden in EBC[EBC]
“Time”—te `eth—Noun Fem.—1) Time—1a) Time(of an event), 1b) Time (usual), 1c) Experiences, fortunes, 1d) Occurrence, occasion. Strong—Time, especially(adverb with preposition)--Now, when, etc.
“You”—hta at-taw' OR (shortened)--ta at-taw’, OR--ta 'ath, feminine(irregular) sometimes, yta at-tee'--plural masculine, Mta at-tem' feminine, Nta at-ten' OR--hnta at-tay'naw OR--hnta at-tane’-naw—Personal Pronoun—1) You(second person sing. masc.). Strong— Thou & thee, or plural--Ye & you; a primitive pronoun of the second person. Used 11X.
“Dwell”—bvy yaw-shab’—Qal Infinitive—1) To dwell, remain, sit, abide—1a) (Qal)--1a1) To sit, sit down, 1a2) To be set, 1a3) To remain, stay, 1a4) To dwell, have one's abode; 1b) (Niphal) To be inhabited; 1c) (Piel) To set, place; 1d) (Hiphil)--1d1) To cause to sit, 1d2) To cause to abide, set, 1d3) To cause to dwell, 1d4) To cause(cities) to be inhabited, 1d5) To marry(give an dwelling to); 1e) (Hophal)--1e1) To be inhabited, 1e2) To make to dwell. Strong—a primitive root; properly--To sit down(specifically--As judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication--To dwell, to remain; causatively--To settle, to marry.
“Paneled/Cieled(line with plaster or paneling)”—Npo saw-fan’—Qal Participle Passive—1) To cover, cover in, wainscotted, covered with boards or panelling—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To cover in, panel, 1a2) Covered, panelled(participle). Strong—a primitive root; To hide by covering; specifically--To roof(passive participle as noun, a roof) or wainscot; figuratively--To reserve. Used 6X.
“Houses”2X(See :8; :2, 9—“house”; also--tyb bah’-yith,-below)—tyb bah’-yith—Noun Masc.—1) House—1a) House, dwelling habitation, 1b) Shelter or abode of animals, 1c) Human bodies (figuratively), 1d) Of Sheol, 1e) Of abode of light & darkness, 1f) Of land of Ephraim; 2) Place; 3) Receptacle; 4) Home, house as containing a family; 5) Household, family—5a) Those belonging to the same household, 5b) Family of descendants, descendants as organized body; 6) Household affairs; 7) Inwards(metaphorically); 8) (TWOT)--Temple. Adverb—9) On the inside. Preposition—10) Within. Strong—A house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.).
“This”—hz zeh—Demonstrative Pronoun—1) This, this one, here, which, this...that, the one...the other, another, such—1a) (alone)—1a1) This one, 1a2) This...that, the one...the other, another, 1b) (appositive to substantive)—1b1) This; 1c) (as predicate)--1c1) This, such, 1d) (enclitically)--1d1) Then, 1d2) Who, whom, 1d3) How now, what now, 1d4) What now, 1d5) Wherefore now, 1d6) Behold here, 1d7) Just now, 1d8) Now, now already; 1e) (poetry)--1e1) Wherein, which, those who; 1f) (with prefixes)--1f1) In this(place) here, then, 1f2) On these conditions, herewith, thus provided, by, through this, for this cause, in this matter, 1f3) Thus & thus, 1f4) As follows, things such as these, accordingly, to that effect, in like manner, thus & thus, 1f5) From here, hence, on one side...on the other side, 1f6) On this account, 1f7) In spite of this, which, whence, how. Strong—a primitive word; the masculine demonstrative pronoun--This or that.
“Temple/House”(See :8; :2, 9—“house”; also--tyb bah’-yith,-above)—tyb bah’-yith.
“Ruins/Waste”—brx khaw-rab’—Adj.—1) Waste, desolate, dry. Strong—Parched or ruined. Used 10X.?From—brx khaw-rab'; OR--brx khaw-rab'; a primitive root; To parch(through drought) i.e. by analogy--To desolate, destroy, kill.
:5—“Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!””
“Consider” is literally -=- ‘Set your heart’[bbl wmys]—See :7 for same phrase.
“Ponder earnestly whether ye have gained by seeking self at the sacrifice of God.”—JFB
Any of our personal &/or corporate “ways” that we bear outright or which we support wholeheartedly, must be properly weighed & deeply pondered, within the light & crucible of God’s desire.
Mat. 3:11; Lk. 3:16—Of Jesus—“...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit & fire.”
Mal. 3:1-3—“Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the LORD of hosts. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner & a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold & silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness.”
1Cor. 3:11-17—“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; & the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God & that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”
Argumentation:
Isa. 28:9-18—“Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” For with stammering lips & another tongue He will speak to this people, To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was to them, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little,” That they might go & fall backward, & be broken And snared & caught. Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem, Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, It will not come to us, For we have made lies our refuge, And under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.” Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily. Also I will make justice the measuring line, And righteousness the plummet; The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, And the waters will overflow the hiding place. Your covenant with death will be annulled, And your agreement with Sheol will not stand; When the overflowing scourge passes through, Then you will be trampled down by it.”
If your heart is NOT given to the true & eternal God who has been revealed to us, then your so-called ‘trust’ in Him consists of merely following directions & sets of rules which someone else lives by. Avoiding legalism & rule following, & learning by rote, ‘separates the men from the boys’ in God’s spiritual reality.
Php. 3:1-3—“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, & have no confidence in the flesh,”
Gal. 5:1-6—“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, & do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.”
*Lam. 3:38-41—“Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That woe & well-being proceed? Why should a living man complain, A man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search out & examine our ways, And turn back to the LORD; Let us lift our hearts & hands To God in heaven.”
*Ps. 119:59—“I thought about my ways, And turned my feet to Your testimonies.”
Ezek. 18:27-28—“Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, & does what is lawful & right, he preserves himself alive. Because he considers & turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”
Joel 2:12-13—“Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, & with mourning. So rend your heart, & not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious & merciful, Slow to anger, & of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.”
*Zech. 1:3-4—“Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the LORD of hosts, “& I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts. “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways & your evil deeds.”’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the LORD.”
*Js. 4:1-10—“Where do wars & fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust & do not have. You murder & covet & cannot obtain. You fight & war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask & do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers & adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil & he will flee from you. Draw near to God & He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; & purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament & mourn & weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning & your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, & He will lift you up.”
Acts 26:13-21—Paul to King Agrippa—“at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me & those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me & saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ “So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise & stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister & a witness both of the things which you have seen & of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, & from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins & an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus & in Jerusalem, & throughout all the region of Judea, & then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, & do works befitting repentance. For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple & tried to kill me.”
*2Cor. 13:5—“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified.”
*1Cor. 11:26-32—“For as often as you eat this bread & drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body & blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, & so let him eat of the bread & drink of the cup. For he who eats & drinks in an unworthy manner eats & drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak & sick among you, & many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”
Illustration:
My wife & I have recently become avid watchers of a TV show called, Live P.D. & its multiple spinoffs/The show are built around the real-time camera recordings from body, vehicle, & court cams, by police, sheriff, highway patrol, firemen, EMTs etc./We are always amazed at the lengths to which people will go, in order to keep from getting caught by law enforcement authorities/Without hesitation, most perpetrators deliberately attempt to justify their illegal actions!—even when someone else’s life is at stake!/They live lives that cause them to easily, non-chalantly, & blatantly lie in order to avoid capture by the law/All the ‘cam shows’ are replete w/outright liars & haters of authoritative enforcement/Such perpetrators are self-determined, self-consumed people to the disdain of everyone else!/PERSONAL MOTIVATION
Application:
?Have you prioritized God by properly assessing the PERSONAL MOTIVATION?
?Is your Relationship with God properly Prioritized?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Teen Pizza Priorities—Two incarcerated teenagers were told they could each make one phone call. About twenty minutes later, a man arrives with their pizza!
Action:
A prioritized relationship with God properly assesses...
3. PERSONAL MOTIVATION(:4-5)
1. The TIME(:1-2)
2. The WORD(:1, 3)
Pt#s 3-only! Presented 01/05/2020am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
