“Does The Lord’s House Lie In Ruins?”
Categories: Bible Study LessonsIn 586 B.C., Judah was taken captive into Babylon (2 Kings 25:8-21; Jeremiah 52). At the time this captivity took place, Jerusalem was plundered by the conquering people and then burned (2 Kings 25:8-9; Nehemiah 1:3). After toiling for 70 years in captivity, a remnant of the people was allowed to return to the land. Upon their return the Lord intended for His temple to be rebuilt. In fact, the Lord worked directly on the heart of King Cyrus to allow this to be done (Ezra 1:1-5). However, once His people returned to the land other things began to take higher priority over the task at hand. Because of this the Lord sent the prophet Haggai to them with a message. In Haggai 1:1-15 the prophet commands the people from the Lord to begin their task of putting the Temple back together. The message of Haggai has application to us today.
The Reception Of Haggai’s Message
Haggai’s message was met by the Jews with the attitude that, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built” (Haggai 1:2). Their reasoning was that they were busy rebuilding their own homes (Haggai 1:3-4). They had put making themselves comfortable and their state of living in order before beginning to work on the Lord’s house (Haggai 1:9). Haggai showed them the error of their ways by saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins?” (Haggai 1:4 – ESV). The Lord had given them the challenge to rebuild His house (Haggai 1:5), and things had not been going well for them (Haggai 1:6). The reason their fortunes were not what they wished them to be was because they should have been building the Lord’s house (Haggai 1:7-8). Because they had put themselves ahead of the Lord, they had prospered little, and what they had the Lord blew away (Haggai 1:9). Further the Lord had called for drought on the land in judgment upon them (Haggai 1:10-11). Haggai’s message was successful. The people became obedient to his message and began to reconstruct the Lord’s house as he wished them to do (Haggai 1:12-15).
Are We Faithfully Building The Lord’s House Today?
While today we are not engaged in the building of a physical structure, we face a similar task today. God does not dwell in temples made with hands (Acts 17:24), rather He now dwells in His temple, the church (1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 6:16). Though it is a spiritual structure, the Lord’s temple is still being constructed. The foundation was laid by Jesus, the apostles and prophets of the New Testament (Ephesians 2:19-22). Today, that foundation is built upon as people are converted by the preaching of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 3:5-9) and as those who are converted do their share (Ephesians 4:16). We have a duty to continue building the temple of God today until the Lord comes again.
As in Haggai’s day, does the Lord’s house lie in ruins while we run to our own homes? It does if we allow other things to keep us from doing our part and neglect in the edification of others. We have the responsibility of teaching and serving (Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 9:19; Gal. 5:13; 1 Peter 4:10-11). We build God’s temple today by exercising our responsibilities, otherwise, the Lord’s house lies in ruins. Today, many put off their responsibility in building the Lord’s house by making excuses. They “dwell in their paneled houses” saying they will serve the Lord when it is convenient and all things are in order in their lives to do so. Many go about their own ways building their own lives, while the Lord’s house lies in ruin. In Haggai’s day, it was not time to put other things in front of the Lord’s house, nor is it time to do so today. We must put God and His Kingdom first in our lives (Matthew 6:33; Matthew 10:37-39).
Conclusion
As God’s people, we need to “consider our ways” (Haggai 1:5,7). If things are not going as they should perhaps there is a reason for the “drought” in our lives (Haggai 1:11). Perhaps the Lord is trying to tell us that if we put Him first in our lives, He will provide for our necessities (Matthew 6:31-33) and multiply our seed for the sowing (2 Corinthians 9:6-11). However, if we neglect the Lord’s work, we won’t have His help, and we may even experience His disciplinary measures (Haggai 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 11:31-32; Hebrews 12:5-11). Fortunately, the Jews took Haggai’s message to heart and “obeyed the voice of the Lord their God” (Haggai 1:12). The Lord responded by saying, “I am with you saith the Lord” (Haggai 1:13). This phrase is similar to the saying of our Lord in Matthew 28:20. As God’s people, we have His full assurance that if we observe all that He has commanded, He will be with us always, just as He was with those of Israel charged with rebuilding His house. This blessed assurance, however, is only for those who put the Lord’s house before their own “paneled houses”.