Thurlow Switzer: Stirring Up Your Spirit

It is important for God’s people to significantly commit their lives to the service of God within the context of local communities of faith. I want to draw some lessons out of the Book of Haggai. The man Haggai spoke strongly as a prophetic voice to Zerubbabel the governor, to Joshua the high priest in the days, and to the remnant of God’s people about rebuilding the temple (Haggai 1:1-2; Ezra 5:1; 6:14). Some call his writing, “Haggai’s Tale of Three Temples,” – Solomon’s Temple, Post-exilic Temple, and the New Covenant Temple.

Haggai 1:1 – “In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,

Leadership is important and we see in this passage a strategic teamwork alliance between the governor, the priest and the prophet. True leadership seeks to respond to the word of the Lord.

Some were giving excuses for not rebuilding the Temple in a timely manner, but the real reasons for their passivity was non-commitment, laziness, and greed (1:2-6). They were earning wages but putting their wages in bags with holes.

Haggai 1:2-6 – “2 Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: 'This people says, "The time has not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built."'" 3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?" 5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of Hosts: "Consider your ways! 6 "You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes."

We should seek to build God's kingdom rather than our own (1:2-8 see Matt 6:25-34). They were giving attention to their own materialistic pursuits, nice houses, etc, but ignoring the Temple of God. Too often, we allow our heart and preoccupations to lean heavily toward material things, our jobs, other pursuits to the neglect of God’s work. Too often, individuals put their attention into things that are temporary and are like putting wages into bags with holes.

Hag 1:7-8 - “7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified," says the Lord.”

In New Testament terms, believers individually and corporately are God’s temple. We must give attention to building and serving the house of God, the community of faith (Heb 3:1-6). Believers are not only co-heirs with Christ, but co-laborers with Christ. Come let us build God’s house, our local community of faith, and let us do it all for the pleasure of God and for His glory. One might study the importance of bringing tithes and offerings into God’s storehouse as an application of what Haggai is getting to. If God’s people neglect the Lord’s storehouse, it will be like robbing God. We must bring the first fruits to God, not the last-fruits or leftovers. Tithing is a faith statement about (1) one’s trust in God, (2) an acknowledgment that God is the owner and resource of all things, (3) a commitment in one’s priorities to put God first in one’s life, and (4) the way by which adequate provision occurs in the local ministry. It is also an important key to experiencing Gods’ blessing in one’s domestic life and in the life of our corporate walk together.

Mal 3:10-11 – “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” 11 "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," says the Lord of hosts; 12 And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land," says the Lord of hosts.” NKJV

Furthermore, Haggai reminded the people of his day that crop failures, droughts, and hardships were often experienced as God's way of punishing irresponsibility (1:9-11). Sometimes people wonder why their finances and income are inadequate. Believers should take steps to put God first and learn to fully trust God for His provision in their lives.

Hag 1:9-11 – “9 "You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?" says the Lord of hosts. "Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. 11 For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands."

The Lord had called them to action, but now an inexcusable delay of 15 years requires a rebuke and an exhortation to once again begin rebuilding the temple. They turn from neglect to God’s command to obedience to the voice of God (1:12). Obedience is an attitude as much as action. They people obeyed the voice of God and feared the presence of the Lord.

Hag 1:12 – “Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, 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 feared the presence of the Lord.”
As they heartily turned to God with obedience hearts, God stirred up the heart of the leaders and of the people (1:13-15) and they came and worked on the house of the Lord.

Hag 1:13-15 –“13 Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, spoke the Lord's message to the people, saying, "I am with you, says the Lord." 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.

This Temple would be smaller than Solomon’s and this affected the motivation of the people (2:1-3). Often people live in the success of the past rather than in the challenge of the present. We must not look at outward appearances but see things through the eyes of faith. “Faith is the substance of this hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1).

Hag 2:1-3 – “1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the 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? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing?”

God exhorted Haggai to speak to the leaders and to the people that they should be strong. These are times in which we must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Hag 2:4-5 – “4 Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,' says the Lord; 'and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,' says the Lord, 'and work; for I am with you,' says the Lord of hosts. 5 'According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!'

We begin to see a glimpse of the reality of the coming spiritual temple of Christ’s Body and to which all the nations of the earth will come and which temple will be filled with glory (2:3-4-7-9; Ezra 3:12). As Christians, we should never long for the good old days, for the best days are yet to come (2:3-9)!

Hag 2:6-9 – “6 "For thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the Lord of hosts. 8 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the Lord of hosts. 9 'The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the Lord of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the Lord of hosts."

The writer of the Book of Hebrews quotes the Haggai 2 passage that “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven,” (Heb 12:26)  to encourage New Testament believers to keep their eyes on Jesus Christ and to do the work of God. He goes on to make the application to the contemporary faith of first-century believers.

Heb 12:27-28 – “27 Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” NKJV

We enjoy the privilege of yielding to the unshakable promises of an unshakable God and our unshakable Christ, and to walk with unshakable confidence in shaking times. Amen!