September 26: Preaching of Haggai and Zechariah

Today's two prophets speak into the hearts of the Israelite people who have returned to reconstruct the destroyed temple. Their words are eminently practical, both for this moment in history and for us today, regarding priorities and the glory of the coming Messiah.

1. Set your priorities after God's heart. According to Haggai 1:1-13, the people's selfish consideration of their own interests above the Lord's plans for rebuilding the temple drove their own efforts to futility. As the LORD Almighty explains, "You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothers, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
Similarly, we often "take matters into our own hands," working diligently as if God were not present in our lives. Or, alternatively, we may establish goals of grandeur and excess for ourselves but never find satisfaction from the fruit of our labor. God created each person in His image and to work and receive satisfaction and find joy in our work. Sin, however, has clouded our satisfaction and joy, and we often reap frustration from our work.
We may create this frustration for ourselves, by focusing on our agenda vs. God's Kingdom agenda. Over the past year or so, I have found it beneficial to study God's Word in the mornings, in order to receive His perspective on the day. In today's passage, God had called the people to rebuild the temple. As Jim Rumsey explained this morning, our mission is to both experience and express God's love. Would you kindly go to God in prayer and ask Him for His perspective on priorities for your life? Following these priorities will lead to great purposeful joy.
Later, in Haggai 2:15-19, we read that God would bless the Israelites' commitment to His agenda. Yet, the focus is on seeking God for Himself, not just for the blessing.
　
2. The glory of the reconstructed temple will come from God Himself. While only few people remembered the splendor of the now-destroyed temple, the new temple would not compare. As a building, it would be smaller and less ornate. Yet, God declares that "the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house," owing to the presence of the coming Messiah ("the desired of all nations"). This "servant" will become a great conqueror and subduer of nations (Haggai 2:20-23).