Lesson text - Haggai 1:6-14
Judah was carried into Babylonian captivity in 586 B.C. Yet this was not a failure on God's part. It was in His plan and in His will. It was foretold in scripture as well. God sent prophets to warn them of these events to come.
After seventy years the Jews returned to Jerusalem and work began on the rebuilding of the temple. But as we know know, work tends to stop when opposition comes along. This is just what happened with the rebuilding of the temple.
Today we don't have a temple to build, but as Christians we definitely have a work to do. Are we neglecting the work of the church - because of opposition or through simple apathy?
Regarding the Jews and the work on the temple, what was the symptom? The people were not satisfied with what they had. They were consumed with their selfish desires. Let us know and remember God does not promise riches, but he will provide us with what we need.
What was the solution? It was obedience - simply obeying God's command to rebuild the temple. The people were to obey - to do the work. The same is true today - obedience to God in regard to the work of the church. Included with obedience is reverence to God. Obedience, when grounded in reverence to God is essential to a successful and pleasing life before God.
If anything will stop the work of the church, it will be our own apathy that will do it.
Haggai 1:6-14
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.
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.
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,
