Consider Your Ways!

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Haggai 1:1-11 In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.” ’ ”

3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?”

5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways! 6 “You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes.”

7 Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways! 8 “Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the Lord. 9 “You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of hosts, “Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. 10 “Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 “I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of your hands.”

Opening Prayer

Historical Context Review

So, let me quickly summarize the historical context:

King Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon

Decreed that the Jews could go home and rebuild the temple.

As many Jews that wanted, could go home.

Historical numbers approximate 1 million Jews in Babylon at this time.

50,000 Jews came home (5% of the Jewish population in Babylon)

When the Jews first came back they rebuilt the altar and reinstituted religious ceremonies.

Neighboring region (Samaria) caused trouble and frustrations from the beginning.

When King Cyrus died the neighboring leaders got the new reigning King to have the Temple rebuilding ceased.

For the 16 years that followed, the Jewish people worked on their houses, while the Temple was left in ruin.

And, in the timing of the book of Haggai, King Darius has taken the throne for two years and accomplished peace in the kingdom.

Haggai and Zechariah prophesy to the Jews to start rebuilding the Temple.

You’ll remember from last week...

Review of these Jews

It’s important to remember that Haggai’s challenge isn’t to people:

Who don’t care about God.

Who don’t care about ministry.

Who don’t care about God’s glory.

Haggai is addressing the faithful.

These were the 5% of the Jewish population in Babylon that left everything to come home and rebuild the temple.

So Haggai’s audience was the faithful ones.

Having denied themselves, they returned to Zion and began rebuilding the temple.

This remnant put God’s kingdom ahead of their own personal comfort—at least in the early days.

Relating to us, as NT Christians...

The Israelites cared about going to Church.

The Israelites cared about being marked as the people of God.

The Israelites did ministry in the name of the Lord.

These are the Israelites that were willing to leave behind all the comforts that they had accumulated in Babylon.

Now, let me read v.2-5...

2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.” ’ ”

3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?”

5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways!

So, what are these, seemingly faithful, Israelites doing wrong?

Why is God rebuking them?

Why is God calling them on their behavior?

What’s wrong with building a nice house?

What About this Command to "Consider their Ways!"

The people are building their houses...

In many ways, a home is more important than a Temple...

Home, is seven days a week.

Home, gives you shelter from storms and inclement weather.

Home, allows you to store up food and supplies for survival.

Home, gives you shelter from predatory animals that would count you as a snack.

I’m not discounting the symbolic importance of a place of worship...

I’m just noting the importance of a home.

Is God saying, build the Temple before you have all the things a home can provide?

Why does a building matter?

Why does God care about the Temple being rebuilt?

A temple cannot contain God.

God says that Himself.

God does not actually live in the Temple.

God fills the heavens and the earth.

There’s no where you can go that God is not there.

God spoke that truth, Himself, in Isaiah 66.

Why does God want them to rebuild the Temple?

Especially, when it will be a lesser Temple in appearance?

Is it the appearance of the Temple that matters?

If so, then why not wait until it can be the most magnificent building Israel has ever known?

If it’s not the appearance of the Temple that matters, then what is it that matters most to God?

Here’s what is being exposed here to the Jews...

You remember in Exodus through Leviticus, you have the Tent/Tabernacle of Meeting.

Then you have the first temple in all its splendor.

What were they for?

Obviously not to house God.

They were to symbolize the indwelling of God.

They symbolized the presence of God in the midst of His people.

And all the ceremonies and sacrifices...

They weren’t able to atone for sins.

Hebrews 10:4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

So, what were ceremonies and sacrifices for?

They were meant as a way for the people of God to express their joy over the presence of God among them.

That’s why God rebukes the Jews over and over for lacking joy in their sacrifices.

That’s why God rebukes them for their heart not being in their offerings.

The refusal to build the Temple was the rejection of the offer of grace, the grace of God’s presence in their midst.

The Temple symbolized the needed and wanted presence of God.

Canaanite religion/other religions deal in techniques...

Earthly acts that are meant to apply pressure on the “gods.”

But biblical religion deals with the heart.

The motive of our obedience.

The building of the Temple is not a religious technique whereby humans pressure or even seek to please God.

It is an act of obedience performed in the faith that God will keep his promise.

What is that promise?

God with us!

The Lord’s case against Haggai’s people is simple:

“You do not want me”

“You do not care whether I dwell with you or not.”

Let me ask this question...

How often do we behave in the same manner?

We wouldn’t verbalize such a thing.

But, how often do we flesh it out at the expense of God’s name being honored on earth as it is in heaven?

What Are the Behavioral Expressions of this State of Mind?

Haggai 1:6-7 “You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes.” 7 Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways!

So they lived in perpetual frustration and discontentment.

Nothing satisfied their perceived needs and wants.

We can't pass over this lesson easily.

It’s screaming at us today in our context.

This lesson is for us, too.

If you devote yourself to sowing and eating and drinking and clothing yourselves and earning wages...

But neglect your ministry in the body of Christ (the temple of God, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17)...

You will live in constant frustration.

If you spend your time and energy seeking comfort and security from the world...

And do not spend yourself for the glory of God...

Every pleasure will leave us feeling dissatisfied, depressed...

Feeling guilt and frustration.

Knowing we were created for so much more...

We were created to live in the presence of God...

And, feel the satisfaction that His presence...

And, only His presence can bring.

How does this relate to us?

I mean we don’t build temples.

But, there are things we are to do as NT Christians.

As, the body of Christ.

As a local manifestation of the Church.

And, as individual Christians.

Some things we’re to be doing:

Obeying the Lord

Minister to others

Love your neighbor

Individual/Corporate Worship

Prayer

Read your Bible

Gather together as the Church

Be disciple & Disciple

Evangelize

Get involved with people for the chance to share the gospel in love.

Sacrifice for others so they see Christ in you.

Can we do these things and still need to consider our ways?

Yes, if we’re doing without wanting, needing, and enjoying the presence of God.

We can read our Bible without one thought of God.

We can evangelize without one thought of God.

We can work without one thought of God.

We can minister to others without one thought of God.

We can pray without one thought of God.

We can sing songs without one thought of God.

We can gather, shake hands, smile at each other without one thought of God.

Our life can be so busy...

And we can get so self-absorbed that we can walk through life without one thought of God.

Have you ever experienced that?

Have you ever caught yourself:

at the end of the day

at the end of the week

at the end of the month

at the end of the year

And, realized that you’ve been walking through it all without a real concern, appreciation, and joy in the presence of God.

This is what the Jews were doing.

And, this is what we do to.

So, What Needs to Happen?

Its the same for the Jews here in Haggai.

Its the same for us today.

We need to repent of zeal-less worship.

Quit going through the motions.

It is not honoring to God.

Its not God-honoring.

It’s self-honoring.

I pray we see ourselves in Haggai.

I pray we see a God who loves His people enough to speak.

I pray we see our need in 2021...

From God’s dealings with His people from the days of Haggai.

We need to be aware of God’s presence.

Rejoice in His presence.

Thank Him for His presence.

And, continue to request His presence in all that we do.

Because if we don’t, the Lord’s rebuke against Haggai’s people is the same for us, and that is:

“You do not want me”

“You do not care whether I dwell with you or not.”

Let’s pray that we learn from God’s message to the people of Haggai’s day.

Let’s pray that we “Consider Our Ways” often...

And that we confess & repent frequently.

And, let’s pray that we rejoice in the presence of God!

Closing Prayer

Save for Haggai 2

Compare Zechariah 1:1-6 —> Haggai 2:10-19

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Are you part of a faithful church, laboring diligently whilst others don’t seem to care?

Have you ever questioned why you should financially support missionaries, prioritize prayer meetings, or turn up to a church work day?

If you’ve ever struggled with the tension between kingdom sacrifice and prioritizing your own personal needs, Haggai has a timely word.