The Twelve: God has spoken!
The Book of Haggai
Where do your priorities truly lie?
The book of Haggai has some very practical application and instruction for us today.
The Overall Message of Haggai: Consider: Is God truly your main priority?
The basic background to Haggai is this: The Jews had been in exile in Babylon. King Cyrus issued a proclamation that the Jews could go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and he was even going to finance it. So about 50,000 (the remnant) Jews who truly wanted to honor God went back to Jerusalem. They started strong, clearing the rubble and laying the foundation, but then got distracted by many things and for the next 16 years, did no work on the temple.
Haggai issues a Challenge to them:
Get back to it - rebuild the temple
1. Consider your Ways (1:2-11)
(look at your priorities & your focus)
This really is the central message of the book:
Consider your ways or as the NIV translates: Give careful thought to you ways.
While the people had inverted spiritual priorities, there were four positive things about them:
They were:
• The Right people - they weren’t the entire Jewish people. Most had stayed in Babylon
These were the Israelites who had set themselves apart by an obvious devotion to God.
• The Right place - They were in Jerusalem. We know that worship is not about a specific place, but in the Old Testament - Jerusalem is a special place of worship. Part of God’s punishment had been exiling them away from Jerusalem.
• Right work - The priority was to be the rebuilding of the temple, and that was their original purpose in returning to Jerusalem, even if they had gotten distracted.
• Right reasons - Their goal wasn’t to “show the Babylonians” or prove they could rebuild - it was to please and honor God.
The people had lost their passion for the things of God. They had become distracted, doing other things.
Haggai 1:4-6 – Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” 5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 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.”
They were focused on their own lives. And they would not be satisfied. They weren’t satisfied with their pursuits. Sounds kind of like our American culture doesn’t it?
• What things in your life would indicate to others that God is a priority?
Is it that you don’t cuss?
Is it that you come to church on Sunday?
Is it that you eat at Chick-fil-A?
You voted for the right candidate?
Is it that you have a Bible on your coffee table?
For 16 years the house of God had been a heap of ruined stones, while they were busy fixing up their houses, building a better patio, putting in a pool. It’s not that these things are wrong, but they had priorities were backward. This is so relevant to us today.
• Does God have priority, or does He have to compete for space?
If we are not careful, our lives can easily become cluttered with secular interests and non-essentials and there becomes less and less time for the things that really matter, Like prayer, reading God’s word, meditation, and worship.
• What are you investing in? (a key question)
Are you committed first and foremost to God? If not, are you any less guilty than they are?
• Are you investing your all in Christ and His Body, the Church?
Mark 12:41-44 – And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
The question isn’t “what are you giving?”
• The question is: “what are you keeping?”
There is so much that God calls us to - The commitment should be whole and entire
Give careful thought to your ways
We all have “discretionary time” - time that’s not pre-committed to other things. Things like work, family, sleep. How are you investing this discretionary time?
• If you are truly fully committed to God, here’s the question you should ask: Have I committed to giving too much of my time/$/etc. to something other than God?
Haggai had pointed out the truth to them. And it must have stung. He pointed out their obvious lack of true commitment to God. But here’s something so encouraging, when he did that,
• The People Obey (1:12-15)
Haggai 1:12 – Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of the prophet Haggai, as the Lord their God had sent him; and the people feared the Lord.
Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the whole Remnant obeyed the voice of the Lord... They obeyed!
A major part of God’s plan is to communicate to and teach His people is through the proclamation of His Word. He did it through Haggai, and He continues doing it today through the preaching and teaching of His Word.
How seriously do you take the teaching of God’s Word?
This verse also says and the people feared the Lord.
When we talk about “fearing” God, we don’t mean whimpering in the corner cringing in fear.
Think of it this way:
• Fear of God vs. Fear of Man - it’s a scale
The more you fear man - the less you fear God
Are you afraid of being less popular? Of being looked at like the weirdo?
It’s okay to want to be liked and well-thought of. That’s not bad, but when you let your fear of man take over and displace your fear of GOd....
Then - a month later:
2. The Good Old Days (2:1-9)
They seemed to be focusing on what had been instead of what was in the future. They realized that the new temple wasn’t going to be as magnificent as the original one. And there was some frustration, especially with the older people who had seen the first temple.
They apparently had the idea that the external beauty of the temple glorified God more than what went on inside it.
• It’s the activity that goes on inside that matters.
You know what else we do? We talk about the “good old days” They were worried about Solomon’s temple instead of praising God for delivering them and bringing them back from exile.
We have the tendency to do this as well.
Remember the “good old days” This isn’t a healthy attitude to have.
We should be looking forward, not backward.
(Philippians 3:13b-15 – But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way)
It’s not about what happened in the past - it’s about what God is doing NOW. What He wants to do in and through us in the future.
• Your most exciting time of spiritual growth should be RIGHT NOW as you focus on your sanctification and what God is doing in, around, and through your life and ministry.
Here’s an important question:
• Is your experience of God’s salvation richer now than it was six months ago?
a year? 5 years? 10? 20? It should be.
3. True Holiness (2:10-19)
They may have thought - hey! We’re back in the Holy Land - all is well. We are holy. But they weren’t holy
But - they were ignoring the temple. Their harvests weren’t working well. The result was that everything they did was polluted. Haggai took them back to the OT law to teach them a principle.
• Holiness isn’t contagious, but evil is.
You don’t spread holiness by contact, but evil spreads that way. Holiness is an inward condition of the heart
Your heart is made holy only by the presence of the Holy Spirit within you. Holiness isn’t just “don’t go to bars and brothels” and avoid certain websites and you’re good.
4. God’s Signet Ring (2:20-23)
A signet ring is as symbol of authority. It was used to seal the word of the king. Zerubbabel’s authority came from God. As we look at Zerubbabel we see a few things.
1. We shouldn’t rely on our own strength - but on God’s Spirit working through us.
2. The problems of the day (social, political, economic) shouldn’t deter us from doing what God has told us to do.
3. God will finish what He starts, including His work in us
Philippians 1:6 – And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
We must be intentional.
We must be focused
We must be passionate about God and His Work.
What you’re passionate about will be evident to those around you.
Reflection Questions:
• What will you do with all of this?
Will you consider your ways?
• Is God truly the priority in your life? HOW is God truly the priority in your life?
Would it be obvious looking at all your financial information? Your Schedule?
Would it be obvious if I were to come spend the evening at your house?
• What are you keeping?
It’s not about what you’re giving. It’s about what you’re keeping. Whether it be money, or time, or talents, or resources.God should come first.
• Do you have a high view of God?
I’ve said for several weeks now that we need to have this
But - if God is not THE priority in your life, you don’t have a very high view of Him.
• Are you being serious about holiness?
Because God is serious about holiness. And holiness can’t just be in certain areas. It must be comprehensive. All-inclusive.
• As you consider your ways, what needs to change?
Because we’ve all got things we need to change. If you’re thinking “well, I think I’m good” then either you’re not really interested in all of this, or you haven’t really considered your ways.
Is God truly your main priority, or have the things of life become more important?
Consider your ways
Soli Deo Gloria!
Rob
Rob
<><
No comments:
Post a Comment