Reading:  Haggai 1-2
Posted: September 27, 2014

Haggai is written about 18 or 19 years after the first group of people travel back to Jerusalem.   Ezra led that group back, and they began working on the temple.   However, something caused them to either quit or slack off.   It wasn't opposition to the building during the first several years, that isn't mentioned.   It must have been something else.

My theory is that the people became disenchanted with the idea of building the temple, and more concerned about building their own homes, and fields, and then in making money, and marrying off their daughters, and helping to build their children a home, etc.     The concerns of everyday life seem to grow and squeeze out any possibility of working for Jesus.

God reminds the people that hard work alone will not provide a bounty.  It must be hard work that is blessed by God.  And since they haven't spent time building and repairing His temple, they aren't blessed.

The parallel for me is two-fold.   Having recently overseen a church building project, I have read the first chapter of Haggai and felt the words cut into my soul.   The church had become old and unattractive.  It held many fond memories for those who attended there, but just like a favorite blanket that has seen too many excursions, others only saw a tattered remnant.   At the same time, all of us had remodeled our own homes.   No one was living in a house that hadn't been changed in 50 years.   It was time for change.

The second  parallel is more over-arching:   we become so busy with our personal lives that we don't spend much time on our spiritual lives.   Too busy to read our Bible, or pray.  Too busy to make it to church today....or too exhausted from packing more into the last week than we should have.   God gets the leftovers, instead of the firstfruits.     The same can be said for finances, we shouldn't wait until we purchase everything else we want and then give to the Lord.   His share comes first.

In fact, this whole passage is about priorities.   Maybe we have become guilty of seeing Sunday as the last day of the weekend, instead of the first day of the week.       When Sunday is given to the Lord, the whole week turns out better.    Most christians can tell you that when you keep Sunday to yourself, you end up short at the end of the week.    The same concept goes for the tithe.

Put God first, and you will find that no matter how little you have, it is always more than enough!

PR