Rebuilding - Haggai

Those who are seeing this Bible history first time may not digest it in the way it should be. God created human and because of their sin, called a particular group – Israel. He blessed them and gave promises to them, but they also went against Him. God allowed enemies to conquer them as punishment and they were exiled. God sent prophets to prophecy good and bad about Israel.

Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi are the last of the prophetic books. They prophesied to the Jews after they returned to Jerusalem. Haggai is the first voice to be heard after the exile. Haggai is determined to persuade the people to rebuild the temple.

With a colossal task before them of rebuilding the temple and restoring the worship of Jehovah, the Jews laboured under the same old sins – idolatry and intermarrying with idolatrous neighbours. Because of all this, the work dragged and the people lost heart and became selfish. Neglecting the Lord’s house, they had become more interested in building homes for themselves than for God (Haggai 1:4). God would not allow all this to go on and so he sent punishment as a result. God sometimes allows hardships because of our indifference to him. Crops failed and business was depressed because of the sin of the Jews. When people forget to love God, they forget to love their fellow citizens.

In Haggai 2 we see people became discouraged because the new temple did not measure up the older one in any way which king Solomon build. The foundation itself was very small. But Haggai came with encouragement telling that God is going to pour his resources into the new building. “I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty” (Haggai 1:7). Haggai showed the people, their impurity. He made them realise their sinfulness. He showed them the reason their prayers were not answered was that they had put off so long completing the temple. Haggai showed them that the land had been rendered useless by their neglect, but God was working and it would be different now. “From this day in I will bless you” (Haggai 2:18-19).

I have experienced people getting uncomfortable when questions are asked about their sins. Prophets and Servants of God are there in between us not only to pray and bless us, but also to show us the right path and warn us if we take the wrong one. If someone points out your sin, instead of defending and putting them down, repent about it and ask God for forgiveness. In 2 Samuel 12, we see Prophet Nathan showing King David’s sin and the King repented (Psalm 51).

In summary, no church attendance, church activities, lighting a candle or visiting Holy Land can bring you closer to God. Only way and it is the easiest way, confess your sins, ask for forgiveness and accept Christ as your saviour.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)

May God help you to understand his words so that you will respect his servants and live a life which brings glory and honour to God and work for his kingdom through his church.