HAGGAI 1:1-10 – In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest: “Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce.”
Theme: MISPLACED PRIORITIES. The spiritual problem the people of God display in today’s scripture is not reserved for them. We, too, will find it a daily challenge to ensure the right priorities are guiding our lives. And like these people of old, it is easy to fall into this dissatisfying and sinful pattern of life. All it takes is to allow procrastination in disciplining ourselves to live by the right priorities to begin the slide.
The prophet Haggai unfolds the sad situation. One can feel the Lord’s sadness and displeasure for what His people have done and are doing. And He corrects them, painfully. What is happening is the people are neglecting the rebuilding of the temple. They occupied themselves with their own interests and not the Lord’s – “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” (Haggai 1:2-4). Further on, the Lord would be more specific on the failure of His people to make His desires and priorities theirs – Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house (Haggai 1:9b).
How the Lord responds to His disobedient and self-centered people should be a warning to us. By His sovereign hand, He frustrates all their efforts bringing discontent, dissatisfaction, and failure into their lives because of their selfishness and misplaced priorities – Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away (Haggai 1:5-6, 9). God is frustrating them because He loves them. And He will do the same to us. God disciplines and chastises His people for their good. Basically, to “get us in line” for what is best for His glory and good. So, be careful when it comes to priorities in life. Don’t procrastinate. Live for the Lord as our highest priority. That is why He saved us!
PRAYER: “Father, forgive me for the many times I have lived with wrong priorities in my life.”
QUOTE: “To know and experience the love of Christ is the cure to misplaced priorities in life.”