Haggai 2
Chapter 2 of Haggai opens with a date. Personally, I tend to skip over dates and genealogies. Let’s face it, they’re boring. I’m always kicking myself when I find out the importance that those dates and names hold- pretty much every time. And of course this is one of those times when I skipped over it and it turned out to be really important.
“On the twenty-first day of the seventh month…”
This was the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, a celebration of the provision of God.
“You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns. For seven days you shall keep the feast to the Lord your God at the place that the Lord will choose, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.” – Deuteronomy 16:14-15
In order to understand what is happening at this time, we have to look at the context. This book is taking place only sixteen years after the nation of Israel is returning from captivity. Their land and cities are in ruins. They have been exiled for so long that the land is almost foreign to them, and other nations have invaded the land, making it nearly impossible for them to make any progress in rebuilding.
And now here they are. Celebrating the provision of the Lord with a feast when they feel completely lost and desolate.
A chapter ago, the beginning of Haggai starts with a call for the people of Israel to rebuild the temple of the Lord. When they had first returned the people immediately began rebuilding the temple. However, they were unable to finish after laying the foundation and were very discouraged. They had not resumed building, until the Lord sent the message to continue the work.
“But now be strong, Zerubbabel,” declares the Lord. “Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,” declares the Lord, “and work. For I am with you,” declares the Lord Almighty. “This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.” -Haggai 2:4-5
So they start working, and in the way those Israelites knew how to do best.
“So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,” declares the Lord. “Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.” -Haggai 2:14
If we look back on the rest of the old testament we can see why they were so overwhelmed and gave up so easily at the prospect of rebuilding. They knew it would never be as perfect and glorious as the temple Solomon built. They were in ruins, barely surviving, being attacked on all sides, in a land that was supposed to be home but probably didn’t feel like it…
But God knew the people could not remake the beautiful temple that Solomon built.
“The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,” says the Lord Almighty. “And in this place I will grant peace,” declares the Lord Almighty. -Haggai 2:9
Multiple commentaries suggest that the phrasing “this house” means that God was not referring to different temples by specific builders, but looked at it all as the same temple. The place where God dwelled with men.
He longed for His people to serve Him wholeheartedly, even if they were unable to do what they wanted. They wanted the glory of the earthly temple because of their selfish pride, but God wanted to bless them with something beyond compare. And He did.
Much like the Israelites we too feel lost and desolate at times in this place that is not our home. God calls for us to serve him faithfully no matter what the cost, and no matter the circumstances. Our works to him don’t matter on the outside. We need to serve God with what we have and not be prideful by comparing ourselves to others. Sometimes we might not feel like we are being prideful when we compare ourselves to others, but as we saw from the Israelites experience, it can often lead to being discouraged. And most importantly, we are the temple, the body of Christ, that God may dwell with us.
He knows we can’t do it on our own. That is why in this time of advent we can remember with grateful hearts how the temple was destroyed and Jesus raised it again in three days so that we could be with Him (John 2:19).
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” -Haggai 2:6-9
God didn’t care about the golden temple, it’s all His anyways, He says that in verse 8. He cares about the heart of the servants who love Him. He sent what was desired by all nations and filled us with His glory. Now we get to serve a great and glorious God, and he allows us to do it by whatever means we have and with whatever we have, even if it doesn’t seem very good to us.
What does your heart look like when you serve God? How can we serve God with what we have?
Thou Art Coming, O My Saviour!
Words by: Frances Ridley Havergal
Thou art coming, O my Saviour!
Thou art coming, O my King!
In thy beauty all resplendent,
In thy glory all transcendent;
Well may we rejoice and sing;
Coming: in the opening east
Herald brightness slowly swells;
Coming: O thou glorious Priest!
Hear we not Thy golden bells?
Thou art coming, Thou art coming;
We shall meet thee on thy way;
We shall see Thee, we shall know Thee,
We shall bless Thee, we shall show Thee
All our hearts could never say;
What an anthem that will be,
Music rapturously sweet,
Pouring out our love to Thee
At Thine own all-glorious feet.
Thou art coming; at Thy table
We are witnesses for this;
While remembering hearts Thou meetest
In communion clearest, sweetest,
Earnest of our coming bliss;
Showing not Thy death alone,
And Thy love exceeding great,
But Thy coming, and Thy throne,
All for which we long and wait.
Thou art coming, we are waiting
With a hope that cannot fail;
Asking not the day or hour,
Resting on Thy word of power,
Anchored safe within the veil.
Time appointed may be long,
But the vision must be sure;
Certainty shall make us strong,
Joyful patience can endure.
O the joy to see Thee reigning,
Thee, our own beloved Lord!
Every tongue Thy Name confessing,
Worship, honour, glory, blessing
Brought to Thee with one accord;
Thee, our Master and our Friend,
Vindicated and enthroned,
Unto earth’s remotest end
Glorified, adored, and owned! Amen.
Credit: Photo by Rachel K Duncan // http://www.rachelkduncan.com // Instagram @rachelkduncan
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