Category: Haggai

Categories
Haggai

Though all is shaken

Signet ring

The book of Haggai ends with a word of encouragement to Zerubbabel.

Perhaps Zerubbabel saw the opposition that was rising up against the rebuilding of the temple and of Jerusalem and he was getting discouraged.

But God told him,

Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms.

I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. (Haggai 2:21–22)

In short, he was saying, “Zerubbabel, things may seem tough now, but I will shake the heavens and earth. I will tear down kingdoms and shatter their power.”

Then he said,

‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. (Haggai 2:23)

A signet ring was a ring that kings would use in those days to sign documents. It was a symbol of his authority.

So God was telling Zerubbabel, “While I will cast down kings and thrones, I have chosen you to become a symbol of authority for my people.”

In the short run, he used Zerubbabel to lead the people in Jerusalem in the rebuilding of the temple and their lives. In the long run, it was through Zerubbabel that Jesus the Messiah came.

Just before Jesus left to go back to the Father following the resurrection, he told the disciples,

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18)

Why is this important? Just as God chose Zerubbabel as his servant, he has also called and chosen us. What has he called us and chosen us to do?

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19–20)

This world has been shaken by war, turmoil, and strife. And things will only get worse. But though all is shaken, let us never fear the future.

Instead, let us remember that all authority has been given to Jesus. And let us do as he has commanded us, going out, preaching the gospel, and making disciples until the day he returns.

And as Jesus said,

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)

Categories
Haggai

The difference between impurity and holiness

Yeast

After Zechariah gave his message, it was Haggai’s turn. And here he shows us one of the differences between impurity and holiness.

To give a bit of background, in Mosaic law, after the altar was anointed, it became holy, and anything that touched it became holy (Exodus 29:37).

What Haggai was asking about here was if holiness could be transmitted second hand. If meat touched the altar, it became holy. But if food touched that consecrated meat, the holiness didn’t pass on to that food.

In other words, holiness can’t be passed on second hand.

Holiness doesn’t come from merely walking in a church, or fellowshipping with godly people. Holiness certainly didn’t spread from the prophets to the people for most of Israel’s history.

And for most of their history, despite going to the tabernacle and temple to offer their sacrifices, these things didn’t affect their actions the rest of the time, as they sinned greatly in God’s sight.

On the other hand, impurity is much more easily spread. So if someone touched a dead body, according to Mosaic law, they became unclean. And anything they touched also became unclean. (Numbers 19:11–22)

God then said,

‘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)

Why were they defiled?

Basically it was because their attitudes had been wrong. They had taken God from the throne of their hearts, and placed themselves there.

That attitude quickly spread throughout the people, and soon the work on the temple ground to a halt. As a result, the temple remained in ruins for years while they were building their own houses and trying to establish their own lives.

That “defiled” attitude then infected everything else they did. It made everything they did unclean before God. Even when they did “religious” things, it meant nothing to God, because their attitudes were wrong.

So God warned them to give careful thought to how they lived.

He reminded them once again that when their attitudes had been wrong and they had left the temple in ruins, nothing went right in their lives.

But now he was promising them that because they had now repented and had changed their attitudes, blessing would come, saying,

From this day on I will bless you. (Haggai 2:19)

What do we take from this?

Let us never let any seed of sin or impurity take root within our hearts. If we do, like the Israelites, it will permeate throughout our lives and make everything we do defiled before God.

Paul put it this way,

Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. (1 Corinthians 5:6–7)

Lord, please root out any leaven that’s in my life. Let evil not spread within my heart, nor let it affect the things I do in service for you.

Instead, fill me with your holiness that everything I do may be acceptable in your sight. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Categories
Haggai

Where our true glory comes from

Contemplating the Lord

I’ve mentioned before in the book of Ezra that some of the older generation that had seen Solomon’s temple wept when they saw the foundations of the new temple that was being built.

And here, we see some of the same feelings rising up from that generation when the work was restarted. So Haggai speaks to them saying,

‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?

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 2:3–5)

In other words, “Don’t get discouraged by how this temple compares with the one Solomon built. And don’t get discouraged by all the opposition you’re facing. Get to work and build the temple, for I am with you.

“I was with you when I promised to bring you out of Egypt and my promises never change. I am the same God that brought you here and my Spirit still remains among you.”

Then he said,

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)

Here we see another prophecy of the Messiah to come. Before his coming, there was a shaking of the nations, with one empire rising after another.

And then Jesus came, the desired of all nations, and he filled that house with his presence and glory. God in human flesh was in that temple preaching and performing miracles.

As we look at this passage, I think we see a mistaken way of thinking in these older Jews. They merely looked at the outside of the temple, of the materials it was built from, and thought that the temple’s glory came from these things.

But the glory of Solomon’s temple, beautiful as it was, did not come from the gold or silver or any of the things it was built from. Its glory came from the presence of God dwelling inside of it.

And as beautiful as it was compared to the second temple that was built in Ezra’s time, it never had the privilege of housing God in human flesh.

When Jesus stepped into the second temple, it received greater glory than Solomon’s temple ever did.

It’s the same with us. You may look at your life and think that you are nothing compared to the other “beautiful temples of God.”

Others may be more physically beautiful or handsome.

Others may be more talented or gifted.

But your glory does not come from how you look or what gifts you may have. Your glory comes from Jesus living inside of you.

So don’t look around comparing yourself to others. And don’t get discouraged by the people that would keep you from following God.

Be strong. Do the work that God has called you to do.

The same God that brought you out of slavery to Satan’s kingdom is with you now and he’ll never leave you.

And each day he will transform you into the glorious temple he created you to be.

As Paul wrote,

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Categories
Ezra Haggai

Getting our priorities straight

Mountain

Before I go on, I should make some comments on the chronology of events going forward.

I’ve mentioned before that there is a lot of dispute among scholars about the timing of events, and the more I dig, the more I see why.

I also see why there is dispute about the starting date for the prophecy in Daniel 9. I have already given my position, but I will admit it’s not without its problems. One is the list of events as set out in Ezra.

Basically, if we go with the idea that Xerxes and Artaxerxes were the ones noted in history (as I do), then we have to say that Ezra 4:6–23 is one long parenthetical comment.

The reason that it’s put there is not because it’s in chronological order, but because thematically it fits in with the idea of the opposition the Jews faced in Jerusalem.

The events of Ezra 7 to the end of the book actually happen before Ezra 4, and the events of Nehemiah occur after it.

One thing to note is that in Ezra 4, it says nothing of the rebuilding of the temple, only the city walls and foundations, the reason being that the temple was already built as seen in chapters 5–6 of Ezra.

At any rate, because of the opposition they faced in Ezra 4:4–5, they stopped work on the temple. But we see in the book of Haggai, there was another reason they stopped the work. It simply wasn’t important enough to them.

And so Haggai confronted the people, saying,

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’”

Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” (Haggai 1:2–4)

In other words, the people were so concerned about their own personal lives and trying to rebuild them, that they neglected the Lord’s temple.

How often do we do the same in our own lives? We know that our spiritual lives and our relationship with the Lord are important, but there are so many other things we’re concerned about, our finances, our job, our families, etc.

Not to say that these things are unimportant. They are. They have their place in our lives. But when they usurp God’s place in our lives, something’s wrong.

God told the people, “Look at your lives right now. You plant much, but harvest little. You eat, but are not satisfied. You drink, but are not filled. You put on clothes, but aren’t warm, and you earn money but see it all slip through your fingers.” (Haggai 1:5–6)

He then told them the reason for all this was because their priorities were messed up. They had ignored him, and so he had withdrawn his hand of blessing on them. So he told them,

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. (Haggai 1:7–8)

God tells us the same. Give careful thought to your ways. Make your relationship with God your top priority. Give priority to God and his kingdom above all else. And if we do, we’ll find blessing.

Jesus put it this way,

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)