“In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.” ’ ”

Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying,  “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?” 

Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways! 

—Haggai 1:1–4

Haggai - I

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After years of captivity and foreign rule, the House of God lies in ruins and is desolate. The people are busy trying to make ends meet because there is never enough… and their faith in a God that lets them be so treated, is under severe siege!  Now, the focus is on providing for #1. Eat, drink, and be merry with what you have, because it could be snatched away any minute.

We are speaking of the temple in Jerusalem, but would invite you to consider the parallels with our time. Certainly post-pandemic, there has been a great reduction in church attendance, social mores and what is acceptable have triumphed over what is right, everyone is trying to make ends meet in the uncertainty of the global economic climate… who has time to invest building the house of God, and this is not a good time for a temple to be built!

People are sick of religion, and see religious wars as the root of most of the current conflict(s) in the world today, never mind that man’s ignorance of spirituality, greed and intractability has been the ruin of us for millennia! No, we should be focused on climate change, wars, economic recoveries, basic human rights so that we all can dwell securely and peacefully in our well constructed houses!

Yet, the house of God is in ruins, and it will take spiritual and political will to rebuild it!

The Middle East problem has been festering for centuries, but the world has chosen to ignore that problem, or offered sops to each party to maintain the status quo, while it gets on with the business of making money! And look where we all are today….

Consider, that we have been reaping the bounty of the patience of a God that continues to provide for us daily, while we actively sin against Him! Were He to withdraw the light of His countenance from us…. remember Noah and be very afraid! 

This is not a time to despair or throw in the towel!

 This a time to work harder than ever to be channels that allow the Mercy and Grace of God to be manifest in our words and actions, to be a witness to those that do not know Him, or are wondering why He would allow all this to happen without stepping in…. well… He has told us before that all of this will come!

We, are the living stones that must come together to be as lights that shine in this age of darkness, armed only with truth and love, blooming wherever we are planted, bringing many to the knowledge of a living and active Word !!

There is no destroying that House!!!

Let us not take our ease for granted, but as we are reminded next week to be THANKFUL ,let us soberly consider our ways, let our praise be genuine, and our efforts to know and serve the LORD be renewed afresh!!

Hallelujah!!!