Haggai & the Understandable Sin of Being Normal
By Darren Moore
Some sins, given the situation, we have sympathy with. We understand why they have been committed. Normal things done by normal people. But, if we are God’s, by definition we are not normal, so we must repent of these sins.
Haggai is addressing those people who have returned from exile and he calls them to repent from being normal. This may sound strange, but they had stopped building the temple and were rather sorting out their decking and kitchen units (or whatever the sixth century BC equivalent is). But, given their situation, wouldn’t you?
Haggai 1:1-2, tells us exactly when the book was written, second year of Darius, the sixth month, the first day, or August 29th 520 BC. If we look at 2 Chronicles 36:19-23 and Ezra 1:1 (Ezra starts “and”) we see how, in about 539 BC, forty-eight years after the exile, God has amazingly moved the pagan King Cyrus to send the Jewish Exiles back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city.
Then, we are confronted with a significant problem; Ezra 4:4-6, 24, the building work stops. The returnees are under threat, they are discouraged. Their resources were mostly removed and building work was ordered to stop. Now, about this time Daniel 9 is happening. Daniel, is reading Jeremiah 29 and notices that the exile is to end after 70 years, so he prays. How might God answer, to re-start this major building project? Send an army to beat up the baddies? Zap them? Drop a city from the sky? (he does that in the end of the Bible), give them diggers? How about a few sermons? Ezra 5:1-2 he sends Malachi (remember him, addressing half-heartedness?) and Haggai. The result is building work restarts and another pagan King, Darius, sends supplies. What an amazing text for the impact of God’s word.
As we read Haggai we see the message that spurred them into action (maybe it will us). And as you read take notice of the dates, it all takes effect quite quickly. Chapter 1 they are using wood for the temple to work on their own homes. Understandable given Ezra 4, quite normal really (of course, neither they nor we are normal). They hear Haggai and get to work.
However, it’s all a great disappointment, we read in Ezra 3:10-13 and Haggai 2:3. The young people rejoice, job done, the old weep as they remember the glory of the first Temple and this one, well, it’s as if nothing. But, chapter 2, Haggai looks to the future, where there will be a glorious Temple and future. Of course, if you know what happens next, that temple is trashed, Herod builds another, which is OK, but not like Solomon’s… which is also trashed by the Romans and now only the Wailing Wall remains today.
We need to look to the New Testament to see a grander building project, which we can read about in Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18 “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” And 1 Peter 2:4-5, the Church, each individual Christian a living stone being built up into a living Temple. Sounds wonderful, but day to day Christian living, Church experience and often our mission efforts are, well disappointing. It’s tempting to get out the DIY kit and work on the house, garden, golf handicap, or whatever it is. But, we have a great promise from Jesus, HE will build HIS Church. So, we need to look to the glorious future and do as God commanded through Haggai and build. We can understandably get discouraged, that’s quite normal. But, you are not normal. So, build.
