Renewing the Relationship

Renewing our Spiritual Heritage Series

Renewing the Relationship

Haggai 1:1-11

Theme: Haggai calls the believers to renew their spiritual heritage.

Introduction: We learned last week that the temple was the place in which the people of God would come to worship. God had told them this was a meeting place where they would come to God through the priest to worship God. This was their spiritual heritage which was taken away from them when Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed their temple and taken them captive. Today, we do not go through a priest at a physical location, but we go directly to God through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Jesus is our High Priest and we can directly to God.

Yet, for Israel in those days they were called to restore the temple. Rebuilding their temple meant a renewing of their spiritual life when they returned to God for regular worship. God had sent Haggai to stir the hearts of the people to renew their spiritual heritage.

In this first message, Haggai reminded them of the importance of God in their lives. When the foundations of the temple were laid in Jerusalem in 536 BC, the younger men shouted for joy, while the older men wept. Although Haggai probably had seen Solomon’s temple in its glory (2:3), he was undoubtedly expressing joy for the work God was doing among His people. It doesn’t take long before the zeal cools off and God’s people grow apathetic. From what we read in Ezra the work of God had stopped for a time.

There are several reasons the work stopped.

1. Opposition came from the people who were already in the land. Their identity is uncertain but you can be assured than when you renew your spiritual heritage, you will have opposition. We should expect it. If you are going to stand strong on your traditional family, be assured there will be opposition.

2. The cost was too great because the people were poor and the harvests were bad. They were not able or prepared to dig deeper in their pockets. God’s work suffers because some Christians are not willing to make the sacrifice to give for the work of Christ. God will use a building project to reveal where our commitments are to the work of God. Haggai was stirring the people to return to their Christian responsibilities about giving. Remember you cannot out give God and He always provides for us.

3. The people had grown weary in the work. This is reason why the worked stopped. Opposition often causes God’s work to stop. They had become lethargic because they had lost sight of the Lord’s glory. We never want to lose sight of His glory.“Where there is no vision, the people perish: But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18)

4. They were too busy. The harvests were very poor 1:6 and all their energies were going into growing and gather food. Times were hard and when there are difficulties self often takes over. We get into a self-preservation mode. Others things take a higher priority than our spiritual heritage. Too busy to go to church, to busy to pray, and too busy for soul winning. It is no wonder we are failing to engage in rebuilding the house of God. This is back to the basics of the Christian life. Where are we going as a people of God? Many believers think it is awful that churches don’t have evening services, but the people voted by their absence to not have evening services.

Haggai preaches a hot message to awaken them to rebuilding and finishing this temple. He is calling them to rebuild their spiritual heritage.

There are three reminders in these verses.

I. Put God first vv. 1-4

This message is from God through the prophet: “Word of the Lord.” To know that this is God’s Word gives meaning to this passage. It is simply a historical account but it is the very Word of God.

A. Excuses v. 2

1. The people were using excuses on why they were not finishing the temple of God.

2. The longer you delay, the longer their spiritual lives were eroding. They had lost the fire, the excitement, and the joy of living for the Lord.

3. Man’s excuse is not God’s pardon from what He has called us to do.

4. Delayed obedience is disobedience.

B. Exhortation v. 3

1. When was the right time? Didn’t God move in the heart of King Cyrus to allow the Jews to return to rebuild their house?

2. The king had given them freedom and resources to build their temple.

3. The Jews knew what Isaiah had already told them

“That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, And shall perform all my pleasure: Even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; And to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.” (Isaiah 44:28)

4. By stopping their work, they were admitting that they had no faith in God’s Word or in His power to perform it.

5. Haggai was exhorting with questions to move forward.

6. Yes, they needed houses and there is nothing wrong with a having a nice, clean home, but they were also not to neglect the temple of God, the meeting place of God.

C. Evasion v. 4

1. It wasn’t time to build the house of God, but it was time to build their own houses.

2. They built nice paneled houses like the ancient kings built for themselves and left God’s House in disrepair.

3. They did not put God first

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

This is the theme of his first message.

“Honour the Lordwith thy substance, And with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, And thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9–10)

II. Believe in God’s promises vv. 5-6, 9-11

A. Examine your lifestyle

1. While consider your ways sound a bit a blunt to us, he was simply reminding them to examine your values. What is important in your life?

2. They were to consider their response to how God opened a door for them to return to their homeland.

3. Consider means to give careful thought to as to examine.

4. Their priorities were for the physical and God wanted them to realize He would take care of those things, if they were to prioritize Him in their lives.

5. Holes in the bag refers to investing in something that will disappear in this world. It seems to imply exorbitant inflation that seems to have no end.

B. Remember your God

1. They had returned to the land in obedience to the Lord and He would be glorified in their obedience-but they were disappointed.

2. God sent a drought and held back dew and rain.

3. He took His blessing from those who labored in the field v.11.

4. They had forgotten the priority of God in their lives and how He can provide for them.

5. There is a warning: we must be careful not to turn giving into a business arrangement with God.

III. Honor God’s Name vv. 7-8

A. Through their obedience

1. By examining their ways, they have an opportunity to realize they should renew their spiritual commitment.

2. Sometimes in the busyness of the world’s activities we need to examine our lives in light of the Bible. Not comparing ourselves to others, but looking inside what God is speaking to us about.

B. Through their glorification

1. When the Babylonian army set fire to the temple, the timbers which held the stone work was destroyed and the interior was demolished.

2. According to Ezra 3:7, the Jews purchased wood from Tyre and Sidon. Now Haggai commanded them to go into the forests on the mountains and cut down the timber to bused for repairing the temple.

3. What happened to the original supply of wood? Did the people use it for themselves? Did some clever entrepreneur profit by selling wood that been bought with the king’s grant? It is unclear but the Bible records paneled houses when was no wood was available for God’s house.

4. God’s House should be built to honor Him-God delights in the obedient service of His people, and His name is glorified when we sacrifice for Him. God deserves the best and not the leftovers.

5. The way we build and care for the buildings God gives us to reflect our spiritual priorities and our love for Him.

G. Campbell Morgan said this about Haggai 1:4: “Whereas the house of God today is no longer material but spiritual, the material is still a very real symbol of the spiritual. When the Church of God in any place in any locality is careless about the material place of assembly, the place of its worship and its work, it is a sign and evidence that its life is at a low ebb.”3[1]

Conclusion: In this first message, Haggai is calling God’s people to examine their spiritual life. The way they care for the temple and it repair reflect their values and priorities of their spiritual life.

3 Morgan, G. Campbell. The Westminster Pulpit (London: Pickering and Inglis), vol. 8, 315. [1]Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Heroic, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: ChariotVictor Pub., 1997), 68–69.