During the seventy years in
Babylonian captivity, the Jewish people dreamed of being back in Jerusalem and
worshiping in a restored temple. In 539 B.C., after the Persians conquered
Babylon, King Cyrus abruptly decreed that the Jews could return to their
homeland. Surprisingly, only a small number accepted this offer, and most of
them quickly became preoccupied with building their own homes. They had lost
their spiritual motivation, but this time from self-centeredness. God raised up
the prophet Haggai to motivate His distracted people. Haggai forcefully
informed his Jewish brethren that they were not making God their priority.
Their neglect of the temple was really a neglect of the Lord. Haggai is one of
only three Old Testament prophets who ministered after the Exile. The other two
were Zechariah and Malachi. Together with the Judean governor Zerubbabal and
the priest Ezra, Haggai attempted to jump start the Jewish people. Haggai
reminds us that good intentions are not good if our day-to-day priorities are
wrong. “I’ll get around to it” we tell ourselves. But sooner becomes later, and
the job never gets done. If your soul is dragging, let Haggai motivate you to
God-honoring action.
People spend money on what they
consider most important. Haggai pointed out that the people in Jerusalem were
valuining comforts of their own homes over God. Their homes had paneled roofs
and decorated walls, while the temple – God’s house remained in ruins. They had
spent their resources on what they valued. Haggai’s message was “Consider your
ways!” It’s a message to us as well. We need to reevaluate where we spend our
resources. Do our activities and spending habits reflect our dedication to God?
Please read
the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better. If you have missed
any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com. J.Vernon
McGee Thru the Bible. Nelson’s Quick Reference. Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.
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