Main Idea: God’s people should be busy with His business.
A Quick Backdrop:
The prophet Haggai was sent by God during the time of the reconstruction to admonish the exiles to finish rebuilding the temple (Ezra 5:1). His ministry took place approximately 16 years after the exiles faced opposition and stopped building the temple.[1]
A Look at the Text:
During the reconstruction, God’s message came to the prophet Haggai, and he spoke to Zerubbabel, the Judean governor (Hag. 1:1). He began by quoting the people’s claim that it wasn’t time to rebuild the house of the Lord (Hag. 1:2). To this, God responded, wondering if it was a good time for them to dwell in nice, paneled houses, while His house lay in ruins (Hag. 1:4).
Yahweh challenged His people to consider their ways (Hag. 1:5).
Life hadn’t been going particularly well. Their harvests weren’t turning out as they should have, they were cold, hungry, and their pockets seemingly had holes in them (Hag. 1:6). In light of these things, they ought to consider their ways (Hag. 1:7).
The people were then commanded to begin rebuilding (Hag. 1:8). For, in this season of time, the source of their problems was actually God! He was blowing away their blessings because His house was in ruins while the people busied themselves with their own houses (Hag. 1:9-11).
In response, the people feared the Lord and would obey (Hag. 1:12). God assured them that He was with them, and He stirred the spirits of the leaders and the people to finish the work (Hag. 1:13-14).
After sitting unfinished for well over a decade, three weeks after God’s message came to Haggai, the people got back to building (Hag. 1:14-15).
Then, a month later, the prophet again encouraged the people along the way that God was with them as they were rebuilding (Hag. 2:4-5). There would be a future time when the house would be filled with glory and greater glory than it previously had (Hag. 2:7-9). While formerly the people were struggling and had problems, from then on God would bless them (Hag. 2:15-19).
Bringing it Home:
While the focus of yesterday’s text was about adversaries, let us not lose sight of the fact that God occasionally brings problems to awaken His people from their spiritual slumber. Sometimes, when things don’t seem to be working out, it might not be the devil who is our problem, but it might actually be God seeking to get our attention.
It can be easy to set our eyes on things of the earth and not on heavenly things. It can be easy for us to busy ourselves with our own houses. But let us know today that the believer is to seek first and foremost the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33). Serving God is to be the chief priority of our lives. Even more, it should be the underlying motivation of all of our priorities.
God isn’t necessarily against us having nice things.
He certainly didn’t hate that His people had homes. But it did bother Him that His house was in ruins and that didn’t seem to bother them. Let us then aim to be busy with our Father’s business and to know that He will take care of us.
Challenge:
What am I busy with?
[1] F. Duane Lindsey, “Haggai,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1536–38.