More sobering words we find in Hagai. Can you imagine living in the day when these words were first spoken? We are living in a land of spiritual desolation, of lukewarm Laodecia like in the day of Haggai. It's easy to judge others, when we ourselves are actually guilty of much worse.
Haggai 1:5 says, "Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; consider your ways..."
Here comes the very sobering passages of warning:
"Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit." (Haggai 1:6-10)
What is going on here? It seems that among the people of Israel, there is more concern for personal gain then for the Lord's gain, for personal houses than for the Lord's house... and there can be no blessing when God's cause is secondary.
Again I turn to the book Prophets and Kings for insight on what is happening here:
"Now consider your ways," (Haggai 1:5). Why have you done so little? Why do you feel concern for your own buildings and unconcern for the Lord's building? Where is the zeal you once felt for the restoration of the lord's house? What have you gained by serving self? The desire to escape poverty has led you to neglect the temple, but this neglect has brought upon you that which you feared. (Prophets and Kings, p. 574)
Thankfully we are told there is a good ending to this story.
The message of counsel and reproof given through Haggai was taken to heart by the leaders and people of Israel. They felt that God was in earnest with them. They dared not disregard the repeated instruction sent them—that their prosperity, both temporal and spiritual, was dependent on faithful obedience to God’s commands. Aroused by the warnings of the prophet, Zerubbabel and Joshua, “with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet.” Verse 12.
As soon as Israel decided to obey, the words of reproof were followed by a message of encouragement. “Then spake Haggai ... unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel” and of Joshua, and “of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God.” Verses 13, 14. (Prophets and Kings, p. 575)Let us remember that if we seek God first and His Kingdom and His righteousness, all these other things will be added unto us! Let's keep our priorities straight!
Tomorrow's Reading: Zechariah 1-2 and Ps. 146-147
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