Put God's House First, He Blessed Your House

In chapter 2, Haggai asks the Priests a question from the Lord regarding ceremonial purity. The questions are intentional to draw out the truth that contact from holy objects to defiled cannot make them clean, while contact from defiled objects to clean objects DOES make them defiled. 

Haggai 2:10–13 (ESV) On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, 11 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: 12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’ ” The priests answered and said, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.”

Haggai applies this principle to the nation’s spiritual condition. He concludes that the people and their nation stand defiled before God, and their work is tainted. (Haggai 2:10–14) While the people working on the temple could not impart holiness to it through their efforts, they could defile it through their sins. An indifferent attitude toward temple construction had contaminated everything they touched, rendering their work unacceptable to the Lord.

Haggai 2:14 (ESV) Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the LORD, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean.

Later in verses 18 and 19, Haggai offers a glimmer of hope. If the people put their hearts into the Lord's house through repentance for their neglect and build, God will bless them, even though they are unclean. 

Haggai 2:18–19 (ESV) Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid, consider: 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.”

The issue was that they had a form of religion incapable of bringing change to their spiritual state. This form of religion allowed them to serve their own homes before the Lord's house. They had religion but no relationship with God. When they prioritized their relationship with Him in building, God would bless them once again.

Not only would they be blessed in prosperity, but they would also be rescued politically. The end of Haggai offers the hope of a renewed love for God's house. 

Haggai 2:20–23 (ESV) The word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother. 23 On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of hosts.”

Signet rings denoted authority, honor, and ownership. Zerubabel, the governor, would gain these in the nation as he led the people back to prioritizing God's house. While he had some measure of authority before, his authority would be elevated, his honor would expand, and God would set His approval on Him.

Understand, it is not the physical house of the Lord that is at issue. For God does not dwell in temples made by hands, as even Isaiah 66:1-2 stipulates. The real matter is their hearts. The temple was the means by which they connected to the Lord, and when they put that first, they would be blessed most of all. 

Jesus is the true Temple by which we come boldly to God and find forgiveness, grace, holiness, cleansing, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. When He touches us, we become CLEAN. When we abide in Him, we bear MUCH fruit (See John 15).
 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Pray for Someone's Downfall

Psalm 83 reminds us that enemies of God's people always abound. The opening verses mention 10 nations gathered around Israel to attack and destory them. These are their enemies. Child of God, we will always have enemies... 1 John 3:13 (ESV)   Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. The world throughout history has hated this ancient family of the Jews. God's chosen people have been the rejected ones in society down through the ages, from Egypt to Nazi Germany. Yet God's blessing has been upon them to this day. For Christians it will be no different. Men will hate us. Yet we are to regard this  as blessing! Luke 6:22–23 (ESV) “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. The Psalmist readily acknowledges the adversary. He then ...
Read more

Because He's There, We're Complete

Ezekiel closes with the land as it was meant to be. The measurements of each tribal allotment are much more equal and the outlines drawn are very similar to what Moses described in Numbers 34.  Ezekiel 48:1–2 (ESV) “These are the names of the tribes: Beginning at the northern extreme, beside the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan (which is on the northern border of Damascus over against Hamath), and extending from the east side to the west, Dan, one portion. 2 Adjoining the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher, one portion. What we see is that not only is the Temple restored, but the land is finally what it was meant to be. Ezekiel ends by teaching us that things only work as they should when God's house is in order and we make room for Him to rule and reign.  In the middle, a holy portion run by the "prince" which most believe is the Priestly system.  Ezekiel 48:21 (ESV) “What remains on both sides of the holy portion and of the prop...
Read more

The God of the Spirits of all Flesh

Numbers 27:15–17 (ESV)  Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, 16 “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation 17 who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.” When Moses is reminded that he will not enter the land according to the Lord's word concerning his disobedience to God at the waters of Meribah, his first inclination is not to beg for God to reconsider but for God to find the right man to shepherd the people. At the end of his ministry to God's people and in God's purpose, Moses was a shepherd at heart. He became a shepherd when he chose to identify with his people rather than enjoy the momentary pleasures of Egypt. He lived in Midian for 40 years as a shepherd understanding the tremendous amount of work required to lead flocks properly. Moses may have been raised in the luxury of a palace, but...
Read more