The Command to Build God’s House
“In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.” ’ ”
Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! “You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”
Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord. “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”
The People’s Obedience
Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the 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 Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him; and the people feared the presence of the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people, saying, “I am with you, says the Lord.” So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.”
The Assyrians have destroyed the Northern Kingdom, carrying off a few prisoners. The Babylonians have conquered Judah and Jerusalem, stripping Solomon’s temple of all its wealth and leaving Jerusalem in ruins. The Judean exiles have settled in Babylon for seventy years, and then a miracle happens: God speaks to a pagan king and he listens.
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:1-4)
The Jews do return to Jerusalem; however, instead of getting going on the temple as quickly as possible, they proceed to build luxurious homes for themselves. These houses are paneled with cedar, something their ancestors might not have been able to afford. Meanwhile, this same bunch of procrastinators are mewling and puking that, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.” What a bunch of ninnies! It’s left for God to send a guy in his seventies to wake up these spiritual infants.
God begins by asking questions: “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! “You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” YOU CANNOT CHEAT GOD AND GET AWAY WITH IT! Judging by the way these people are behaving, it would seem many of them really don’t believe in God; they have just taken the opportunity to return to Jerusalem in hopes of becoming richer and more powerful than they have been in Babylon. Surprise! God already knows the thoughts of their miserly hearts and He isn’t putting up with their excuses.
“Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the 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 Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him; and the people feared the presence of the Lord.” At least, somebody is listening and obeying.
APPLICATION: The prophet Samuel said it all when he was reproaching King Saul. “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23) The law of the Kingdom of God is simple: the measure you give out is the measure you receive. You cannot cheat God or deceive Him, and any attempt to do so will result in your suffering.
It’s mind-blowing that a group of people who have miraculously returned to their homeland would so quickly forget the God who has made this possible. But when self-interest is at the forefront, people have extremely short memories.
We look at the exiles who have returned from Babylon and feel a bit smug. Were WE in these people’s places, we would have behaved far more wisely….or would we? Are we really pursuing God’s perfect Will for our lives, or are we settling for something less and making excuses? If we find ourselves frustrated because our best efforts are failing to yield expected dividends, perhaps we need to stop and analyze whether God has asked us to do something and we have refused, finding all kinds of “good” reasons for our refusal.
One Christian humorist has described the early time in his ministry when he was trying to copy other successful evangelists. When results failed to come, this man asked God what God was doing wrong. God answered him by saying: I’m not doing anything wrong, but you are!” We want to blame God for poor results when we are the source of the problem. May God grant us spiritual insight, honesty, and courage to acknowledge our sins and failings!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel frustrated because our lives are not working the way we have anticipated. Open our eyes to see where we have been cheating You and refusing to follow Your leading. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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