Here are the notes from LightHouse last night on Haggai 1.
Now it is 520BC and Darius is king and in his second year Haggai brings God’s message to God’s people.
Prioritise God
One of our problems with Haggai is his focus on the temple. We don’t have a temple, the church building isn’t the equivalent, in fact Jesus challenges the role of the temple in his ministry, and in Acts worship moves away from the temple.
But in the Old Testament the temple was hugely significant to the people of God. Turn to 1 Kings 8, here we see Solomon praying as he dedicates the temple, he acknowledges that (27-30)the temple cannot contain God but is a place where God chooses to dwell with his people. It’s a significant sign to God’s people that God hears their prayers(31-32), brings justice(33-36), and forgives sin. The temple was even a place where foreigners could call on God(41f). It was the centre of social, religious and political life for the people of God, and when it was destroyed they were devastated. We don’t have an equivalent, but the closest would be if in one terrorist attack Buckingham Palace, Canterbury Cathedral/St Pauls, and the Houses of Parliament were all destroyed at the same time.
God’s presence was what set Israel apart from the nations around them, what made them distinctive and the temple was the visible reminder and evidence of that. No temple, no sacrifice, no atonement, no identity as the people of God.
Do you see why this was such a devastating blow to the people of God? The issue isn’t about a building. The modern application of this book in its call to rebuild the temple is not to build a church building, or to refurbish it or put a new roof on it. That is trivialise and externalise God’s message and his concern. This book is not about buildings but about the place God occupies in our lives. For us there is no temple to build, no sacred building because in Christ we are filled with the Spirit and become the temple as we meet together as living stones.
But the problem in Haggai’s day is that people have given up building(2-4). God doesn’t just know that they have stopped building but he has heard their excuses for doing so. “The time has not yet come.” We would build the temple but the time isn’t right, we need to wait a bit longer. Maybe they were waiting for opposition to totally stop then they could rebuild safely without any threat to worry about. Or perhaps they were waiting until they were less busy working on their own homes and security, then they’d have time to dedicate to God. Maybe they were waiting to be wealthier, or have more skilled builders so they could do a better job of rebuilding. Or they maybe they were waiting for a sign that now was God’s time for them to continue building the temple.
Whatever the reasons (3-4)God knows that they were just excuses “Is it time for you to be living in your panelled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” You see the contrast God is making you have time to build your own elegant, opulent homes, wealth enough to invest in panelling, time enough to give to that, but not to rebuilding the temple.
You see what God is saying don’t you? Time isn’t the problem priority is. They are concerned about the wrong house. They’ve become consumed with their own comfort and prosperity and concern for God has been pushed to the margins. And God highlights his glory and majesty in how he reveals himself to them, he is Yahweh – the I am, the eternal one, the creator and sustainer. But he also reveals himself here as Lord Almighty – that is the God of heavens armies – the one who is glorious. And yet you won’t rebuild my house. You are not concerned to make the most of my promises, my presence, you are unmoved by the chance to return to what you were.
It brings to mind Matthew 7 “seek first the kingdom of God.” We’re prone to the same problem, the problem of distraction. To get taken up with, or find our time and energy consumed by things other than the glory of God. We struggle with exactly what they did, in terms of building our homes rather than God’s kingdom either through preoccupation with work and earning more, or by a focus on our nuclear family, or in a hundred other ways.
And we are just as good at making excuses as they were. The time hasn’t yet come because... the children are too young, I just need to do this first, work is really busy, I need my time off to rest and so on...
In the same way God cuts through their excuses and calls them to think about their hearts and the place they’ve give him he calls us to think us tonight. Whose kingdom am I seeking? Not mentally but when I examine my direct debits and my diary?
Trusting God to secure our Future
We live in a consumer society where we satisfaction is only a purchase away, where there is always something more to get, to attain, to experience, to have. There is always a better way to be satisfied to be fulfilled, and the warning is don’t stop or you’ll fall behind. Security is having the next best thing, be it investments, gadgets, fashion, whatever.
There is nothing new under the sun because that’s exactly where Israel find themselves(6-9). But God has a shock in store for them, they can’t find fulfilment because he isn’t letting them, they can’t find security in having enough because he’s teaching them to find their security in him, to trust him to secure their future.
(5-6)Whatever they do they don’t have enough, life is like a purse with holes in it – isn’t that a great picture – doesn’t life sometimes seem like that?
And the surprise here is (9-11)God says that’s his doing, not because he doesn’t love them but because he does. Barrenness is not because God has left them, it’s because through it God is lovingly disciplining them. He wants their life to be better than they could possibly make it even if their effort succeeded, because true security will only ever be found in him.
In fact God’s discipline has been just as he promised it would be if his people forgot about him in Deuteronomy 28, drought, a lack of harvest and so on. God loves them and wants to bless them but won’t allow them to be satisfied without him – because that wouldn’t be real satisfaction.
Let me just pause there to address the issue of blessing. Sometimes I think we’re a bit squeamish about the idea of blessing as a reaction against the prosperity gospel, but there is a danger in that which leaves us thankless for what we have. Does God want to bless us? Yes God does, and some of those blessings are material. If you have a home, a car, an education above primary level, a job, an income you are blessed. Family and children are blessings from God, leisure time is a blessing from God, your church family is a blessing from God. I could go on. Recognising God blesses us isn’t saying that God wants us to have a Mercedes, a mansion, model wife or husband and a million. What I’m saying is that God’s blessing is in his supplying our needs. Think back to Matt 7 “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Jesus promises that god will provide and as a result of his loving Fatherly nature. Unless we get that God blesses us in our everyday provision we won’t be thankful.
But what God is teaching here is that he won’t allow his people to be satisfied by things that only satisfy temporarily. God delights in a people who seek him, who live trusting him. The key to security isn’t found in work, in our bank balance, in stuff, it’s in knowing God who provides.
That is so counter cultural. Our society seeks security in working harder, longer, smarter, better. But God says re-orientate your living. We will only put God first if we trust that he will provide everything else we need, that he will provide security.
What will this look like?
It isn’t an excuse for laziness, notice (8)God calls them to work. But it is a call to trust God. It might look like turning down a promotion or overtime so that you can go to gospel group, or serve in church. It might mean not taking a job elsewhere in the country because you’re committed to God’s kingdom in this location. It might mean not working Sunday’s on study, or encouraging our children not to do school work on Sundays. It will mean ensuring we encourage our children to read and understand the Bible and serve in the church as much as we teach them phonics times tables or push them at school. Because we know what will bring security is seeking God’s kingdom not trying to secure life ourselves.
What will secure our future and our children’s? Seeking God’s kingdom, knowing that he lovingly will provide.
Putting God firstHere’s my confession, I find it hard as a preacher not to be envious of Haggai. Haggai gets to see in a short time span what pastors and preachers long to see when they share God’s word with people. (12-15)The leaders respond and lead the people to repent, a repentance seen in their recognition that the charge God makes is just and the rebuilding restarting. And notice God encourages their response. It’s as if God is longing for them to respond so much that he is just waiting for them to start and then he stirs them up even more.
God comforts them with his presence with them, as they seek him he will be found by them and be with them. God is like the Father running out to welcome his run away son home again. God works to discipline, call his people and stir up his people and willingly waits to bless, comfort and empower his people. And as they build they find they have everything they need, there was no need to wait.
As we examine our hearts, as we consider we have that same promise but magnified. We aren’t called to build a physical temple but to be living stones being built up into God’s temple where his Spirit dwells as we meet together. This isn’t just a call to individuals to put God first but to commit to a community where we put God first in terms of our commitment to one another and to ensuring one another goes on and grows(1 Peter 2:5).
Putting God first is a call we need to hear. ‘Consider your ways’, look at your heart, look at your actions, commitments, your anxieties, your security. Am I trusting God? Am I putting him first?
Do I need to repent? Do I need to realign my priorities with his? Seeking first God’s kingdom is not an individual task, it’s a communal commitment. We seek God as we hear his word and put it into action in our lives, living equipped with our eyes fixed on Jesus. As we love others by giving generously to meet needs be it of our wealth or time because we love and trust God who promises to provide.
That is so counter cultural. Our society seeks security in working harder, longer, smarter, better. But God says re-orientate your living. We will only put God first if we trust that he will provide everything else we need, that he will provide security.
What will this look like?
It isn’t an excuse for laziness, notice (8)God calls them to work. But it is a call to trust God. It might look like turning down a promotion or overtime so that you can go to gospel group, or serve in church. It might mean not taking a job elsewhere in the country because you’re committed to God’s kingdom in this location. It might mean not working Sunday’s on study, or encouraging our children not to do school work on Sundays. It will mean ensuring we encourage our children to read and understand the Bible and serve in the church as much as we teach them phonics times tables or push them at school. Because we know what will bring security is seeking God’s kingdom not trying to secure life ourselves.
What will secure our future and our children’s? Seeking God’s kingdom, knowing that he lovingly will provide.
Putting God firstHere’s my confession, I find it hard as a preacher not to be envious of Haggai. Haggai gets to see in a short time span what pastors and preachers long to see when they share God’s word with people. (12-15)The leaders respond and lead the people to repent, a repentance seen in their recognition that the charge God makes is just and the rebuilding restarting. And notice God encourages their response. It’s as if God is longing for them to respond so much that he is just waiting for them to start and then he stirs them up even more.
God comforts them with his presence with them, as they seek him he will be found by them and be with them. God is like the Father running out to welcome his run away son home again. God works to discipline, call his people and stir up his people and willingly waits to bless, comfort and empower his people. And as they build they find they have everything they need, there was no need to wait.
As we examine our hearts, as we consider we have that same promise but magnified. We aren’t called to build a physical temple but to be living stones being built up into God’s temple where his Spirit dwells as we meet together. This isn’t just a call to individuals to put God first but to commit to a community where we put God first in terms of our commitment to one another and to ensuring one another goes on and grows(1 Peter 2:5).
Putting God first is a call we need to hear. ‘Consider your ways’, look at your heart, look at your actions, commitments, your anxieties, your security. Am I trusting God? Am I putting him first?
Do I need to repent? Do I need to realign my priorities with his? Seeking first God’s kingdom is not an individual task, it’s a communal commitment. We seek God as we hear his word and put it into action in our lives, living equipped with our eyes fixed on Jesus. As we love others by giving generously to meet needs be it of our wealth or time because we love and trust God who promises to provide.
Here are the discussion questions we discussed afterwards:
1. What stops us putting God first?
2. Do you think of yourself as blessed, why or why not? How can we be more thankful?
3. What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom?
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