Old Testament or New Testament -- Which God is the Real God?

Recently I was at a gathering of friends and one person commented, “I like the kind and tolerant god of the New Testament, but I don’t much like the angry, violent god of the Old Testament.”   I think that sentiment is quite prevalent among people who know about God without really knowing Him.  Since we have spent the last several months looking at Christ in the Old Testament, before we begin our study in the New Testament I think it would be appropriate to take the time this week to show that the New Testament and the Old Testament are in perfect harmony, without contradiction, and revealing to us the same God with the same attributes in both sections of our Bible.  Let's see what God has to say about Who He is and what He is like:

• God says, “I AM.”

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14, New King James Version)

God does NOT say I will be what you want me to be or who you think I should be.  If I told you that I know the president of the United States of America – He is a man who was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961; his mother’s name was Ann Dunham; his father, Martin Luther King, lives at the White House with the first family; he was educated at Ole Miss; and he is a Republican – you would probably call me crazy.  I might genuinely, earnestly, and sincerely believe that description of the President, but anyone who truly knows the President would know that I don’t know what I am talking about!  Believing something does not make it true.  Many people have sincere beliefs about who God is, but they are sincerely wrong if what they believe about God is not what God says about Himself.  How can you know if what you believe is true?  Read God’s Word, the Bible.  He tells us who He is.  “The name ‘Yahweh’ is most often translated ‘Lord’ and is the most significant name for God in the Old Testament, used 6,823 times.  It is closely associated with the Hebrew verb meaning, ‘to be,’ meaning the active, self-existent One.  It is also associated with God’s holiness, His hatred of sin, and His gracious provision of redemption.”*  He IS indicates that He has always been and always will be.  He has no beginning and no end, neither in time nor in space.

• God says, “I am sovereign.”

But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. (Psalm 115:3, New King James Version)

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17, New International Version)

God created us and everything that was ever created.   He created time!  He created the laws of science and nature.  He created the first laws of society.  He gets to decide what is right and what is wrong, not us.

• God says, “I am jealous.”

“You shall have no other gods before Me . . .  you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. (Exodus 20:3, 5-6, New King James Version)

When we worship or trust in a god of our own making or of our imagination, we are worshipping an idol.  God warned His people about that and said that was something He would not tolerate.  And by the way, in the verse above, when He says “before Me,” that doesn’t mean He will allow other gods as long as He is our primary God.  No, not at all.  When you read the word, “before,” think about appearing before a judge.  God does not want to see any other gods before Him, in His universe, His courtroom.  Anyone who thinks God is tolerant does not know Him.

 

• God says, “Vengeance is Mine.”

Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly. (Deuteronomy 32:35, English Standard Version)

For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. (Isaiah 63:4, King James Version)

God always has the last word.  He is patient because He knows that we are weak and that our wisdom and understanding are feeble compared to His.  He always gives us a way to avoid temptation, and He warns us about our disobedience.  But when we defiantly shake our fist in His face, demanding our own way, turning our backs on Him and His commandments, He will judge us and punish us.

• God says, “I am merciful.”

Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, “Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever.” (Jeremiah 3:12, English Standard Version)

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9, New American Standard Bible)

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8, New International Version)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, New King James Version)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Here’s how we can be sure that we know God in the right way: Keep his commandments. If someone claims, “I know him well!” but doesn’t keep his commandments, he’s obviously a liar. His life doesn’t match his words. But the one who keeps God’s word is the person in whom we see God’s mature love. This is the only way to be sure we’re in God. Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived. (1John 2:2-6, The Message)

God loves us so much that He provided us with a Way to receive His mercy and forgiveness for all our disobedience.  It is not His desire for anyone – not even the worst mass murderer or terrorist – to die and spend eternity separated from Him in torture and anguish as punishment for their sinful disobedience.  All we (or anyone) need to do is to agree with Him (confess) that we are guilty; ask for His forgiveness; accept His punishment (Christ died on the cross as payment for my sin); turn our lives over to Him (repent), changing the direction of our lives from that of self-direction to God-direction.

• God says, “I do not change.”

For I the Lord do not change; (Malachi 3:6a, English Standard Version)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8, New International Version)

Remember that the Old Testament covers a period of over 4,000 years of world history.  During all those years we are able to see a pattern of God’s instruction, man’s disobedience, God’s warning, and God’s judgment.  It’s a pattern that repeats itself over and over and over, both in the lives of individuals and in the lives of nations.  The New Testament covers a time span of only approximately 70 years, and its historical theme is more focused on the life of Christ and the birth of the Church, rather than the history of nations and their leaders.  But the pattern of instruction, disobedience, warning, and judgment is not overlooked in the New Testament, but is reinforced.  The mercy of Christ that is so vividly described in the New Testament is foretold throughout the Old.  God did not change, but our understanding of Him was forever changed and magnified when He sent His Son to demonstrate His love for us.

My prayer for you this week is that you will know the only true, living God.  The One Who gave Himself to purchase you from the slave market of sin, to give you a life as a child of The King, to live with Him for eternity, and to be a joint heir with Him in all His riches in heaven.  My prayer is this, taken from Psalm 145:18-19 –

Thank You, Heavenly Father, Lord, God Almighty:

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.

* Bible. English. New American Standard. 1978. “The Ryrie Study Bible,” Moody Press (Footnote Genesis 2:4)

Christ in Malachi -- The Messenger of the Covenant

The book of Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament, and the prophet we know as Malachi was the last of the prophets until the time of John the Baptist.  The name Malachi is translated as “my messenger.” We don’t know if this was the actual name of the writer of this book or if it was a pseudonym that an anonymous person took, since the theme of the book is that of God’s Messenger.  This is a reminder that we must always acknowledge that the men God used to write His Book were not to be our focus; rather we should always focus on what God had to say through these men.

Malachi prophesied to those children of God who had returned to Palestine some 100 years before with Ezra and Nehemiah when the city of Jerusalem and the temple were rebuilt.  They had become lax in their adherence to the laws of Moses and in giving their tithes and offerings.  They knew that God had promised a Messiah, a Son of David, but they had become complacent.  They were no longer anxiously expecting Him at any moment, and they were living their lives in a way that demonstrated that absence of anticipation.  Malachi was telling the people that the Messiah was coming and that He would be preceded by a messenger who would prepare the way for Him.  That was an idea that would have been familiar to these people.  In those days, anytime an important person traveled to a foreign land, a vanguard would go ahead of him to clear the way and announce his coming.  They would remove debris from the roads, fill any areas that had been washed out, make sure that the route was safe to travel, locate water sources, and determine the best places for the coming entourage to camp overnight.  That was the kind of messenger Malachi described when he repeated what God had told him:

“Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me.” (Malachi 3:1a)

The messenger God was referring to here was John the Baptist who was sent to prepare the way for Jesus Christ.

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3)

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.’” (Matthew 3:1-3)

Jesus, Himself, said:

“For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’  Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matthew 11:10-11)

Notice that in the Malachi and Isaiah references, God said the messenger would prepare the way for The Lord, Jehovah.  God was clearly saying that the one who was to come after the messenger was Himself.  Then in the Matthew 11 reference, Jesus quoted the passage in Malachi, referring to Himself as the one whose way was being prepared, thus equating Himself with God.  To further enforce the notion that Jesus and God of the Old Testament are one and the same, see the following words of Christ:

“I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30)

“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” (John 14:7)

“He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9b)

God told the people through Malachi that He would appear unexpectedly in His temple.  Think about what Luke told us about Jesus, at age 12, interacting with the priests in His temple.  Don’t you think that was unexpected?

Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. (Luke 2:46-47)

We also see Jesus cleansing His temple of those who were making it into a place of corruption.  Don’t you think that, too, was unexpected?

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” (John 2:13-16)

And once again, Jesus went into His temple and taught.  Since He had not had a formal education, His wise teaching was unexpected:

Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?” (John 7:14-15)

Why was He unexpected in His temple?  Weren’t the people taught that He would come?  The answer lies in Malachi’s rebuke.  The people had become complacent about Messiah.  They were no longer looking forward to His coming.

Malachi’s prophecy, like all the other prophecies we have studied, was two-fold.  The coming of Jesus Christ, following the messenger, John the Baptist, was only the first half of Malachi’s prophecy.  The first time Jesus came it was not to judge the world, but to save us through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave.  In Malachi God was also telling us about Christ’s second coming!   When He comes again, He will come as the Messenger of the Covenant.  He will come to judge the world in righteousness and peace, to present us to Himself as a pure, spotless sacrifice.  And again, His coming will be sudden and unexpected.

“Even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like launderers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.” (Malachi 3: 1b-3)

Jesus told us about a new covenant, a covenant of grace.  So He is clearly the Messenger of the Covenant:

Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:20)
  
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’” (Matthew 25:31-34)

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2)

Think about it:  Suppose you know that you are going to have a guest at your house, someone you love and respect will be coming, but you don’t know when they will arrive.  You will do your best to have your house clean and the lawn mowed and manicured.  You will go to the grocery store to be sure that you have enough food in the house, and you will probably spend more than usual to get the very best steaks, the finest wine, and the freshest produce available.  You may even scour your recipe books to find the richest, most scrumptious dessert recipe that you can find, all because you want to make a very good impression on your guest.

Jesus Christ came once.  He is coming again!  Are you living in anxious anticipation of His return?  Is your spiritual house clean?  Are you storing up spiritual food?  Will your life be an acceptable sacrifice to Him?  Or have you become complacent like the people of Malachi’s day.

My prayer for you and for myself this week is from Malachi 1:11.  I hope you will join me in this prayer of praise to God:

Almighty God, for from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, (Your) name shall be great (in my heart and in my life); in every place (prayers and offerings) shall be offered to (Your) name, and a pure offering; for (Your) name shall be great among the nations. Amen.

All scripture references are from New King James Version.

Christ in Zechariah -- The Branch Out of Jesse

Zechariah was a prophet who worked alongside the prophet Haggai.  They both came out of the Babylonian captivity to rebuild Jerusalem.  As we studied Haggai last week, we learned that he wrote his prophesy in 520 B.C.  Zechariah wrote between 520 and 470 B.C.  His book is a compilation of several visions and prophecies he was given over a long period of time, in contrast to Haggai’s book of four messages given on three very specific dates within a period of only three months.  Both these prophets were sent to encourage and comfort the people as they came out of captivity into the rubble and devastation that had once been the beautiful city of Jerusalem.

The first purpose of Zechariah’s book was to encourage the Jewish people in the short term as they rebuilt the temple and eventually then entire city of Jerusalem.  Although God had used Babylon to judge His people for their disobedience, He never has and never will give up on them.  He used Zechariah to reassure them that He was still their God, that He still loved them, and that He would be merciful toward them and help them to rebuild His temple, their city and, eventually, their nation.

‘Therefore thus says the Lord:  “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it,” says the Lord of hosts, “And a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’  “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; The Lord will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.”’ (Zechariah 1:16-17)

He also encouraged the people by once again promising The Messiah.  Even though Israel no longer had a king, but was ruled by a governor appointed by a foreign power, God’s promise of a Coming King of Israel was still good.  Zechariah reminded God’s people that, before their captivity, Isaiah had spoken of a “Branch” that would come out of Jesse, through the royal line of David, and that Jeremiah had told them about the “righteous Branch.”

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:1-2)

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you, for they are a wondrous sign; for behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH. (Zechariah 3:8)

Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: “Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, and He shall build the temple of the Lord; yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; so He shall be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’ (Zechariah 6:12-13)

The second purpose of the book was to encourage us today!  We can be encouraged as we look back on history, seeing how much of Zechariah’s prophecy has already been fulfilled, specifically prophecies concerning the first coming of Jesus Christ:

Zechariah told us about the humility of Jesus and about His entrance into the city of Jerusalem, just before His crucifixion.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)

Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” . . . So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. (Matthew 21:1-3, 6-7)

Zechariah told us that Jesus would be betrayed.  Read how many details of the betrayal by Judas are recorded here, some 640 years in advance of the events:  Judas making a deal with the priests about the price he would be paid; the amount settled upon (thirty pieces of silver was the price of a slave who had been pierced in his side by an ox); the return of the wages by Judas; the money used to purchase the potter’s field (the potter was considered a lowly laborer).

Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. (Zechariah 11:12-13)

Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. (Matthew 26:14-15)

Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”. . . Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.  But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.” And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field where strangers would be buried. (Matthew 27:3-4a, 5-7)

Zechariah told us about a Fountain of Salvation that would be for Jew and Gentile, rich and poor.  It is a Fountain that cleanses the defilement or pollution that is the result of sin.

In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. (Zechariah 13:1)

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

And He said to me, “It is done!  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. (Revelation 21:6)

Zechariah told us that The Shepherd, the only Son of God, would be killed, pierced by a sword.  When Christ was crucified, many in Jerusalem mourned when they realized that they had called for the death of Messiah.  When He returns, all those who have rejected Him will mourn because of their sin and because it will be too late for them to escape His punishment.

And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:10-11a)

But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” (John 19:34-37)

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7)

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: . . . And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:41, 46)

Zechariah had a lot to say about the second coming of Christ.  As a matter of fact, some people call Zechariah “The Revelation of the Old Testament.”

He told us that Israel would be regathered to the Land of Promise, and he told us about the coming tribulation:

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. (Zechariah 12:2-3)

Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:6b)

In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them. It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:8-9)

And finally, in the last chapter of his book, Zechariah tells us about the battle of Armageddon and The Coming King, Jesus, who will end the bloody war and rule His kingdom in peace from His throne in Jerusalem.

Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, (Zechariah 14:1a)

Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. (Zechariah 14:3-4a)

And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be—“The Lord is one,” and His name one. (Zechariah 14:9)

As I reflect on what Zechariah wrote, and as I anticipate the day Jesus comes again, I pray that I have heard what God is saying to me.  I pray that when I am reprimanded for my sin I will learn from His judgment.  I pray that you and I will be refined by His testing during times of difficulty.  I pray that all through the day, every day I will call on Him for His help and guidance.  I pray that when my life is over, He will call me His faithful servant.  My prayer for you and for me this week is based on Zechariah 13:9 --

I will bring the one–third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
and test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.

All scripture references are from the New King James Version.

Christ in Haggai -- The Desire of All Nations

Haggai was a prophet who spoke to God’s people as they were rebuilding the temple after coming out of exile in Babylon.  The date of the prophecy is clearly given in the book, 520 B.C.  There were actually four messages that He gave on three different occasions. 

The first message was given on September 1, 520 B.C.  God was disappointed in His people for their lack of enthusiasm and dedication in the rebuilding of the temple.  They had been eager to build the altar, but they let their own day-to-day personal interests distract them from their work.  Apparently, according to Ezra, they first erected a tabernacle, a tent, to house the altar, but it took them over a year to begin work on the construction of the temple.  They had built nice houses for themselves, but neglected to build God’s house.

Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” (Ezra 2:3-4)

And when the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. Then . . . built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses. (Ezra 3:1, 2)

Now in the second month of the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, . . . all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began work and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and above to oversee the work of the house of the Lord. (Ezra 3:8)

We might sympathize with the people.  After all, they had been in captivity in a foreign land; it probably took about four months for them to travel from Babylon to Judea; after all, they did have families and needed a place to live; and they needed to make a living to provide for their families.  And we might admire them for first building the altar.  But look again at the reference above from Ezra 3:1 -- “when the seventh month had come.”  If it did indeed take four months to travel, what were they doing for the next three months?  Now look again at the beginning of Ezra 3:8 – “Now in the second month of the second year.”  An additional seven months passed before they began work on building a temple.  All this time, they were preoccupied with their own comfort.  Why didn’t they just pitch tents for themselves and begin building right away?  Instead, they pitched a tent for God and made nice “paneled houses” for themselves.  God wants to be the priority in our lives.  He does not want anything to be more important to us than Himself, and anything that we place ahead of God might be considered an idol:

You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 20:3)

“Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord, “Who take counsel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin.” (Isaiah 30:1)

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

Apparently, after about three weeks Haggai’s words were finally taken to heart, since it took 23 days for work to begin in earnest:

So the Lord stirred up the spirit of . . . the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius. (Haggai 1:14-15)

So within about seven weeks the temple had been completed. This was at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles and should have been a joyous time, a time of celebrating the harvest.  But that year, the harvest was not plentiful.  God had withheld His blessing because He was displeased with His people. Haggai used this opportunity to give his second message to the people on October 21.  The temple the people had erected was shoddy in comparison to the temple Solomon had built.  Some of the older people who had seen the majesty of the old temple wept when they saw the new, smaller, simpler one.  That, coupled with the slim harvest, caused the people to be dejected.  So Haggai’s message was one of encouragement:

“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? Yet now be strong . . . all you people of the land,” says the Lord, “and work; for I am with you,” says the Lord of hosts. “According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!”  (Haggai 2:3-5)

This second message, one of encouragement, also looks forward to the time when His temple is more glorious than it has ever been!  This will happen when the heavens and the earth as we know it are destroyed and are recreated. All the nations of the world will gather to worship the Desire of All Nations, Jesus Christ on His throne.  God’s temple will be rebuilt more glorious than ever with all the riches of God.  It will be filled with His glory and Christ will rule in justice and in peace:

“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; 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. ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘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.” (Haggai 2:6-9)

Haggai’s third message was given about two months later.  It was a call to righteousness.  He drew a comparison from the old law God had given about ritual cleanliness.  He first asked if a man carrying “holy meat” meant for a sacrifice is sanctified (holy, set apart, free from sin), can he transfer that sanctification to things he touches?  The answer is no.  Then he asked, since a man is unclean because he touches a corpse, does he then make unclean anything he touches?  The answer is yes.  He was trying to show the people that sinfulness spreads like a disease.  Cleanliness, or righteousness, does not.  Just like disease is contagious, healthiness is not.  The disobedience of the people was affecting everyone, just like a disease.

Then Haggai answered and said, “‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean . . . I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you did not turn to Me,’ says the Lord.” (Haggai 2:14, 17)

But Haggai’s fourth message, given at the same time, was a message of future blessing.  It is here that we again see Christ promised to His people:

“Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying: ‘I will shake heaven and earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them; the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.’” (Haggai 2:21-22)

This refers to the time when Christ will come to rule all the nations of the world.  At the time this was written, Persia ruled an area larger than two million square miles, but God tells us that He will rule the entire world and all kings and kingdoms will worship Him.

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)

So what does Haggai’s book mean to us today?  Are we putting God first in our lives?  Is there anything that is taking His place of honor in my heart and in my lifestyle?  Am I giving Him my very best, or am I saving the best for me and giving him what is left?  

My prayer for you and for me this week is a prayer of confession and repentance, based upon Haggai 2:15-19:

Heavenly Father,
Up until this day I have not given you priority in my life.  I have been too busy to spend time in your Word.  I have let pastimes keep me from attending church. And I know that I have missed out on Your blessings because of my sinfulness.  But from this day forward, I will worship only you.  I will make Your desires my desires.  Will you please help me?  I trust in Your promises, so I know that You will bless me.

All scripture references are from New King James Version.