Haggai 1

Stretching the Matter

In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,

2 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD's house should be built.

3 Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,

4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?

5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

At such a time as this truly there might be many such men that are reigning yet when it comes to the Lord in him you’d find your exceeding great reward. Just as he promised to Abraham so long ago to make of him a great nation though I know some of you are probably wondering what all is he doing that for but the not having seen or heard of any such thing in the times of our Lord has now become a problem it seems. See, the times are sure changing but how many know that the Lord has not rather. It’s now the second year of Darius in the return there from Babylon though I think some of you forget it’s the Lord you’re dealing with here and not just a person. There’s all these other people and these earthly rulers of which you have no clue of whom you’ve been dealing. Suffice to say that the governor our Lord is at hand, of all that he’s planned. In fact, it’s just as the prophets have said that out Bethlehem Ephratah in the land of Judah should come forth a ruler then instead. To him then shall the gathering of the people be of whatever or what you would rather of just unto him then in the end. Though as Scripture has said there’s a not time that’s been come of the Lord. In fact, when speaking of the Lord’s house it’s more than just a shelter or place where he’d lay his head. It’s somewhere for him then to enter as into his people and so too their bodies and lives. In fact, it’s not time for his house to be built because man was consulted rather than him. When it comes to his house and also the ways of his people our God’s just not playing around. He knows whence these all came from and also where they’ve been. Believe me, he knows all very well cause there’s not chance or ill-timing with him. In fact, he cares more about their ways, the state of his house and also their own bodies and lives. The cieled houses then are the least of the problems given that their focus just should’ve been him. See, in all of this the stock market’s changing, the economy’s raging but our God’s still on the throne and nor has he just left us alone.

Strengthening Further

6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

9 Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

It seems then that much has been sown towards the house of the Lord and is there no reward brought in of him then instead. In fact, between the sowing and the eating thereof is there not enough food and of drink and even so too the clothes between them seem to be stretched out awfully thin. Clearly, our God as the governor is the very best cure for all of this process disorder no matter where these have wandered, no matter how high or how deep and even in him are some yet asleep. He knows all doesn’t he being earnestly engaged in all our affairs and so too do we find all the answers with him to be there. It seems we’d need a governor certainly considering this truly for perhaps our Lord would’ve rathered a house in which to worship and to bring all the tithes and offerings to what he’d call home. See, it’s awfully hard to have the temple fit to house the Great King without our lives but an offering. It’s awfully hard to see the will and the way of the Lord without a knowledge and a consideration of him who’s better. It’s awfully hard to have what of him when there’s just the miry clay that we’re in. So too his power avails to save all to the uttermost and them who’d simply but come to him. There’s a picture isn’t it that his house would need building, though it’s not to an earthly purpose of sacrifices and such. Nor is it just that the Lord had become much. Though I can see it now as the people are going much as did Abraham with Isaac bringing wood and an offering, that of their own bodies and lives. In fact, when it comes to the sacrifices of worship and praise and just of what’s been due to his name, our God it seems has treated these people much as the sacrifices of which they’d been bringing. You might not see it just yet, but he’s blowing on what’s been brought as though to fan the flames and make it of his own great name.

Stayment of Raiment

10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.

11 And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.

My goodness, it appears how good our God is to his people. Though the issue is largely the perception at hand of him as a good God or in any way thus. Still though some have ascribed to him all negative attributes due to their will instead of just that of their Provider and Savior and Friend. It’s not that our God is reluctant to do good to his flock. Just as with the dew on Mount Hermon so is the getting along with all of the brethren. Though how often we’ve fallen astray from the places we’ve wandered and the mountains to deep. It’s almost an unnatural state such as this to which has been reaped. Our God is good to all these his children just as he planned. In this he has said it’s a staying power to be seen there with him then instead. He’s kept and provided so far for all we had wanted and more. In fact, so long as the children had wandered even in captivity to the desert there and beyond he’d still been providing by his mighty good hand. Speaking of rebuilding the Lord’s house, it’s almost enough to give pause to consider or at least cause some to wonder. In it particularly, there’s that of the ark of the covenant holding the record of the providing for there with the Lord. Then again with him it’s always a strange providing indeed what with all the times and the weather and what you had rather. The heavens in fact have been stayed over in large part because of the Lord. It’s him then that’s their stability for then, though these wax old but as a garment at times and so seek to do all his good will. Then again in the end, they’ll pass away with a fervent heat just as the earth instead being rolled up like a scroll so that the new might’ve taken it’s place there on the whole. At this time it’s been seen that our God is as always awfully good to his children. It’s he who remains, supreme above all isn’t it that over our own bodies and souls. It follows then that whatever God has said then is true being of itself life and breath. Oh my friends there’s life in these words. Indeed it’s not for nothing that Scripture has said that not one jot or not one title will pass away from his Word except that all be fulfilled. Should the Heavens and the earth also be consumed there on the whole, know this that his Word will not pass away on the whole. It'll accomplish to whatever he’s been done and sent it to do. Thus will his Word not return void, or lacking results then for you. It seems it’s something Zerubbabel and Joshua very well knew how that the Word of the Lord as always had come forth to save them and in itself bore a mighty big sword. Though at times it’s hard not to fear the God who still kept his Word. So too consider the God who knows us so well. It’s more of a God who slips unnoticed into the midst with a ‘what are you doing that for’ and tells us where we should walk and how to act and how to make all our ways find grace in his sight. It follows then that the blessings borne forth of the ground as after Cain and Abel and what each of them had stem only from a faith and trust in the Lord and hope to his Word. Certainly having God just as he should quiets the house and rights all the wrongs. In providing then it’s seen that he’s in any way as he should, the God who Governs the hearts and the minds. Though our God’s not just a do nothing God once again as some would’ve thought him to be where the blood of Abel shed long ago continues to long cry out from the ground. Then again would Cain wander the earth just as a man that’s been marked of the Lord. He’s the God though not as some would’ve said that comes on in and rights all our wrongs. Knowing this then there’s obeyment that’s seen. He knows everything doesn’t he, not being a do nothing God for his people but one that’s very much alive at his Word.

Stirring Above

13 Then spake Haggai the LORD's messenger in the LORD's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.

14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,

15 In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

Though it seems at such a time as this truly that our God still stands before all his people as the Governor rather. Having a Governor, some sort of Supreme in control being such as the God we serve himself in the end and so to come before him well, implies that there’s a messenger being sent out from him simply to do all his good will. The messenger though much like the prophets before must not speak anything of his own in place of the message in full. That means first of all a faithful hearing there of his Word and also a repeating just as one would a tape that were playing. Indeed, it seems mighty strange that at such a time as this our God would come to his people. You know, how often was the temple in need of repairs and also rebuilding that of our own hearts and our lives and also just to trust in him for it then. Though the discussion isn’t about whether or not the temple should be rebuilt in our lives, I mean really and truly it’s not now then is it. Rather it’s about the Lord’s way and also his Word whatever that means to you at this time. Seeing him then who lives, let’s come before him then just as we should. So often the body is just referred to as the temple instead. Though shouldn’t we rather have the presence of God here within us and his blessed truth to know no matter where we’d walk down here then below. Having a messenger then implies being sent as in the prophets where blessed are the feet of those that preach peace to the people that walk on the mountains and that tell that our God reigns there in the end. Though the messenger doesn’t come with themselves but rather the message, that of his Word. As in back at the Garden of Eden, the flaming sword and guardian with it very much rather swept back and forth not to keep people out of the tree of life but to keep all others away. That is to say that our God is our life and our hope, our truth and our God for it’s in him that we trust not as unto anything else or in any way thus. Then again the spirits of the people were stirred up by what they had heard simply to align with his Word. The Word of God is indeed sharper than any two-edged sword even to the dividing aside of our hearts and our lives that everything seen might be laid bare in his sight. When it comes to the spirits though, not all of them are quite right with the Lord. How much more then shouldn’t some of us simply be subject unto the Spirit and live in his sight. That’s to say he makes our hearts and lives simply to line up with his Word. Thus there’s protection seen that’s come forth from the Lord to keep all others away from his people, that as the door of the sheep he’d keep any from harming or hurting them then. Then too as the Governor he’s spread there a feast. These people aren’t doing nothing out there or in vainly laboring all so the house of the Lord could be filled. Instead, it was done so they might have room for him truly and allow him to enter into the situation as some that’ve cleansed their hearts and their minds. It’s allowing space in the house for him to enter and then to reside. Some of us though I’m getting the notion like to think of the Lord as an other way blessing where he’d owe us something for fixing his house up as we should or else that the sweeping and cleaning is as in the gospels after having cast out the demon. You’d have heard doubtless how that one had wandered all over the place through deserts and wastelands seeking a place for its rest. Then at last it returned finding the old house having been swept and it’s void. It’s returning is told with that of seven more worse than it from the first. Though that’s to say certainly there’s none to be seen that are evil impugning our Lord. When he’s the Governor though he keeps the house from all sorts of evil and also those that’d be thinking ill of the Lord. When it’s his house that he’s keeping he prevents it from being in run-down condition or in any way thus. It’s cause the Governor that you hear is the same one who speaks unto me. Even so he’s alive in the hearts and lives of all men and all who’d simply but come to him then. See, man might be on the throne for a moment or keeping the house as they should but the Lord it seems is the One behind it who can be kept at his Word. So often some of us simply need the God who’s with us instead.