The Command of God - ANB Week 2, Day 1 - 3.11.13

Week 2

Monday, Mar 11                                                            The Command of God

Haggai 1.1-10

Sixteen years had now passed since Artaxerxes had halted the work on the temple in Jerusalem. Satan had seemingly put an end to the work that God had for the people in Israel, a work that would cause glory to be drawn to his name. By his crafty deceit, Satan had snuck in and caused the Hebrew people to lose focus. In all of his cunning, he had raised up principalities against Israel to force them into stopping the work. But, now God was ready to once again show His power and His might. Now, He was ready for His work to be done. We find that a new king was on the throne in Persia and a new prophet was to speak the word of the Lord. Haggai comes to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. And the word that God had for the Hebrews was neither kind nor withheld.

God confronts the people of Israel for their comfort and spendthrift ways, asking them to look around and see all that they had built for themselves and reminded them of the fact that the house of the Lord was still in ruin. God was not mad at them for having nice things, for He in His Word never outright condemns us for having possessions. His anger burned at the fact the people of Israel were too distracted by their stuff that they paid no mind to the temple, the house of the Living God and how they had not finished the job God sent them to Jerusalem to do. But you say, “They couldn’t work, the king had ordered that their work be stopped.” Fair enough, but consider who gave the command to build. Rather than pour their lives into the work that God had apportioned for them, they poured their lives into storing up treasures for themselves. Again, it was not the fact that they had things. It was that they let their things become more important than the temple, the place of worship, the dwelling of their God.

So, God issues the command: “Go up into the mountains, bring wood and build the temple, that I may tbe pleased with it and be glorified” (Haggai 1.8). It is a direct command, but also a reminder to what they were supposed to be doing and a punishment for having not already done so. If you remember last Thursday when we were studying Ezra 3 and the rebuilding of the altar and temple, I made note of the fact that King Cyrus of Persia had donated the cedar logs for the rebuilding of the temple. His men had been given the charge of delivering the wood for the construction, but notice here what is said to the Hebrews, “Go up into the mountains, bring wood and build the temple…” God had taken their sinful laziness and revoked the offering of materials by Cyrus. No, Cyrus was no longer on the throne in Persia, but that makes no difference. Israel had been given a command by God through Cyrus to return to Jerusalem for the purpose of rebuilding the temple, but instead they allowed Satan to manipulate circumstance and now the provision of material had been taken away and the work load increased on them. God makes it clear in verse nine that his anger is fueled by the neglect of the temple on the part of the Israelite people.

It does not take much exegetical skill to see the deeper meaning for us in our current context. We are at a time where the house of God needs some serious work, both physically and metaphorically. It is not a sin for us to have a nice house to live in or nice things to put in those houses, but it IS sinful for us to neglect the holy God who has saved us from sin in order to do so. We are at a point where we must address the temple of the Lord that is our person (1 Cor. 6.19) and reconcile ourselves with God. But, we also must look at the place where we gather together to worship our God. What is it that God is leading us to do in this area? What commands are being given to us at Hopewell Baptist to fulfill His plan and draw glory unto His name? Haggai 1 demonstrates that it is easier to do what God tells us when we are told rather than wait.

Prayer:

God, what would you have us to do? What is your vision for Hopewell and how can I help make sure the work You require is done?