Haggai 2:1-9 says,...Bible reading week 27, day 1

Let's get on to our passage today.  We are back in the book of Haggai with chapter 2 and verses 1 through 9.

1 - On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,

2 - "Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people saying,

3 - 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory?  And how do you see it now?  Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?

4 - But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,' declares the LORD, 'and work; for I am with you,' declares the LORD of hosts.

5 - 'As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!'

6 - For thus say the LORD of hosts, 'Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.

7 - I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD of hosts.

8 - 'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,' declares the LORD of hosts.

9 - 'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and in this place I will give peace,' declares the LORD of hosts.'"

A month has passed from when first word of the Lord came from Haggai to the people.  They had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the religious structure of their faith but "other things" got in the way.  The temple project was put on hold until Haggai spoke up about their elaborate homes while God's house was in ruins.  23 days later, they start to head to the mountains for more wood and they pick back up their tools to finish the task.  They are about a week in when another month rolls around, the month of Tishri, and the date would be October 17, 520 B.C.  This is the last day of the Feast of the Booths or Tabernacles when they would be reminding themselves of God's deliverance of them from the land of Egypt, the great Exodus, and they would have been living in little tents for the week.  This is now Haggai's third message to them.

Apparently there are some in the remnant who have returned who remembered what the temple used to look like, Solomon's temple.  This was not sizing up to what it once was.  Sometimes that is discouraging when something doesn't look as good as it did before.  We often talk of the "good old days."  Our sight looking back seems to be keener than our sight looking forward.  We base our opinions and make judgments that if it isn't just like what was before than it can't be as good or be as good.  Haggai speaks directly to the leadership and says "take courage, work," and "I am with you."

Take courage to keep going.  Work the task that is before You.  I, God, am with you with a promise given 9 centuries ago that My Spirit is in the midst of you doing this task.  God is holding onto a promise made 9 centuries ago that they are observing while sitting in tents to remember His great deliverance from Egypt, the trek across the Wilderness, and the provision of the Promise Land.  These are three phrases that we need to hear when we are discouraged.  We need to hear, "take courage."  We need to hear, "work."  We need to hear, "I am with you."  A week into work that was set aside for awhile and what is being accomplished doesn't have the view you thought it was going to have and so you come to the conclusion, "What's the use?  Why keep going?  It's not going to look like it did?"

God makes some more promises.  One is to shake things up.  Another is that He has all the resources that are needed.  The last is that the latter will eclipse the former.  What is coming is going to be better than what was before.  What is coming is bringing peace.  God is announcing a change that is coming that will have global impact.  He is proclaiming the provision of this precious time because He is the One providing it.  The thing to cherish is not the silver and the gold but rather the peace that comes from God.  The silver and gold God has already, the resources needed for the task, but God wants to give them peace, a new focal point rather than the physical structure of the temple.

I catch myself looking backwards at times.  I focus on what once was and it slows me down.  I get discouraged and God comes along and gives me a nudge to look forward again.  "Take courage Adam.  Look around you.  Do you see Me working?"  Once you stop looking backwards and start looking forward you will see that God is still working so you and I should keep working.  You see that His Spirit is still here and though it might not look like it once did, you see in the midst of what it is that God's still bringing His peace to our lives that isn't based on our external circumstances.  Actually the more the external circumstances look grim the greater His peace shines.  He will keep supplying what we need, the silver and gold that He possesses for His church to thrive, so we need to keep working in light of His peace coming to people's lives.

Did you need to hear today, "take courage, work," and "I am with you."  Did you need a nudge from God to stop looking backwards in discouragement and to look forward in anticipation of what He is doing and going to do?  As we observe God through our own religious activities may we keep looking forward to promises that He has given and continues to keep rather than our present situation.  Remember that the King is coming and rise up to work to proclaim the peace of God who shakes up this world and our world for the glory of God.  Let us pray.

"Lord, give us messages today that will keep us looking forward instead of backwards.  Give us messages today to keep our eyes focused on You rather than on things.  Give us messages that stir us onto those good deeds that You have lined up for us who love You to show others the love of God.  May we come out of our religious observance of You this Sunday with a carryover to this Monday of picking up the tools You have given us to accomplish the task of proclaiming a coming King of peace.  Amen."

Pastor Adam