The theme of the book of Haggai is: "Build the Temple." In 536 B.C., about 50,000 Jews, under Zerubbabel's leadership, returned from captivity. Isaiah prophesied 150 years earlier that Cyrus would issue a decree allowing the Jews to return home after 70 years in captivity (Isaiah 44:24-45:7; Cf. Jeremiah 25:11). After their return, they erected an altar and sacrificed on it burnt offerings to the Lord (Ezra 3:26). They also gathered materials with which to build the temple; and in the second year, the work began (Ezra 4:1-24). Their enthusiasm however, cooled when they met with opposition from their adversaries, the Samaritans (Ezra 4:2-5), who eventually obtained from King Artaxerxes a decree forbidding the work. The work ceased, and God's house lay waste.
The zeal with which their labor began grew cold. These exiled people returned to their homeland with high hopes and great expectations for happiness and prosperity. But their hearts were not sufficiently motivated to cause them to arise and build while enduring inward distractions and outward opposition. They complacently acquiesced to the enforced cessation of their great work. They viewed the temple ruins with a certain amount of despondency, then turned their attention to their own personal concerns. They were more than willing to leave the temple restoration to other times and stronger hands. Finally, someone discovered the original decree of Cyrus and ended the interdict of Artaxerxes.
Now, the Jews received all kinds of offers of assistance in carrying out the original plans. The temple work, however, did not resume. Even after the opposition lifted, the people continued in their indifference to the work of rebuilding, having neither the interest or courage needed to resume. They seemed glad for an excuse to be idle. Interestingly enough, neither danger nor difficulty prevented them from building themselves luxurious houses. But, regarding God's house, they said, "The time is not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built" (Haggai 1: 2). God raised up Haggai, the prophet, to reprove them for their indifference and slothfulness in rebuilding the temple.
Haggai said: "consider your ways" (1: 5, 7). Literally, "set your heart on your ways." They needed to take a good look at themselves and consider what they had done since returning from Babylon. Their food, drink, and clothing were inadequate (1:6,9). They were not satisfied; nor did they have enough. Their priorities were wrong; therefore, Jehovah blessed them meagerly. Their failure to arise and build was due to their own carelessness (Haggai 1:2). They were concerned about their own luxury and comfort (Haggai 1:4). Their attitude was "let us build our own houses before we talk about the Lord's house."
Much good and important work remains undone because we put off doing it. Remember, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." Many have lapsed into the same lethargic spiritual condition that characterized Israel, judging themselves to be righteous because of what they do not do. "Consider your ways." A wax dummy does not lie, steal, or listen to dirty jokes; but he also does not visit the sick, clean the building, teach a class, prepare for Bible Study, attend a gospel meeting, or worship regularly. Think of what could be accomplished if we all "considered our ways" and followed the instructions given in Haggai 2:4, "Be strong... and work." Israel's strength (as is ours) was not in numbers (Deuteronomy 7:8-9; Judges 7; I Samuel 14), but "in the Lord, and in the strength of His might" (Ephesians 6:10).
Yet, among today's professed Christians are those who cannot see beyond themselves, and who imagine that a man's chief duty upon the earth is to do the best for himself, while "the house of God lieth waste." Perhaps, it is past time for us to stop to "consider our ways."
No one can travel along life's path with any degree of success if he doesn't first consider where that path is going. The man who does not "consider his ways" is certain to come to grief. The man who rushes on blindly will eventually fall into the ditch. If one is to be acceptable to the Lord, he must become intimately acquainted with his own ways. Paul said, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified." (2 Corinthians 13:5) Without this self-inspection, we cannot become aware of our deficiencies. Are we continually examining ourselves that we might grow in our service to Him who loved and died for us?
If the Israelites would "consider their ways" and "be strong... and work" they would enjoy the promise of the Lord, "for I am with you" (2:4). This should have been enough to silence their fears. All our labor is for nothing if the Lord is not with us. Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" {John 15:5}. No task authorized by the Lord is too big for us to accomplish if we will just work. Paul said, "I can do all things in Him that strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13)
Israel could surely remember how the Lord had been with their fathers when they passed through the Red Sea, during all their wilderness wanderings, and their conquest of Canaan. God delivered them from Babylonian captivity. With all that history, how could they doubt God's promise now? How could they be so indifferent?
We have the same promise today. "Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20). Let us "consider our ways" and set our priorities appropriately; let us "be strong and work." Let us arise and build the Lord's house.
Procrastination is something that members of the Lord's body have down to a science! At the beginning of the new year, many Christians made "resolutions." There's nothing wrong with making resolutions and setting goals for ourselves. How many of last year's resolutions did you keep? One of the favorite "resolutions" that Christians make every year is: "I will spend more time studying my Bible." This certainly is a wonderful resolution; but a couple of things about it perplex me. Why wait until the beginning of the year to give more time to Bible study? Why do we admit our need for more Bible knowledge only at the beginning of a new year? We need to pick up our Bibles TODAY. People are lost and dying, headed to eternity unprepared to meet the Lord in judgment. Can the lost wait until the new year begins, and we gain enough knowledge to teach them the way to the cross? To be knowledgeable and capable of teaching, we must prepare ourselves. God's people are responsible for meeting this great need? Brother Galloway gives some excellent food from the past. Israel stopped working; they needed motivation to complete the temple they started when they came out of captivity. What about us? In our communities, many are lost and in need of the gospel. Are we preparing ourselves to accomplish this great task, or are we "putting it off" until a more convenient time? (KMG)